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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 124 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: march · firm · root · file · scale · can · face · rule

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. face — to confront
  3. march — the month
  4. file — a tool
  5. march — the month
  6. file — a line of people
  7. march — music
  8. rule — a law
  9. firm — steady
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. firm — a company
  13. can — a tin
  14. file — a document
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. face — to point toward
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rule — government
  19. can — to be able to
  20. face — part of the head
  21. scale — size or range
  22. firm — decided
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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