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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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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: foot · root · chip · kick · swing · capital · rock · date

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. date — the fruit
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — money
  12. foot — a measure
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. chip — to eat
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. kick — in football
  23. swing — in golf
  24. foot — part of the body

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