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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.

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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: root · press · file · capital · jam · rule · snap · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. file — a document
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rule — a law
  6. root — the cause
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. snap — to click
  10. press — to push
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. file — a tool
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rule — government
  15. capital — money
  16. root — of a word
  17. press — a publisher
  18. root — of a plant
  19. can — to be able to
  20. capital — a city
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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