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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. file — a document
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. root — the cause
  7. face — to point toward
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rock — music
  11. root — of a plant
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rock — a stone
  14. face — part of the head
  15. capital — money
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pass — a permit
  20. root — of a word
  21. chip — to eat
  22. face — to confront
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com