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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: file · suit · face · rock · rule · ground · key · capital

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rock — a stone
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. file — a document
  7. key — the most important part
  8. face — to confront
  9. key — in music
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rule — government
  13. face — part of the head
  14. file — a tool
  15. capital — money
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rule — a law
  18. file — a line of people
  19. suit — clothes
  20. face — to point toward
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. suit — in cards
  23. ground — a position
  24. capital — a city

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