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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
468
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: capital · degree · key · suit · file · snap · pitcher · rock

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. suit — clothes
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. key — the most important part
  9. snap — to click
  10. capital — money
  11. degree — temperature
  12. file — a line of people
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. degree — from a university
  15. capital — a city
  16. degree — an amount
  17. key — for a lock
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rock — music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. key — in music

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