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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: sharp · chair · safe · capital · swing · row · root · rule

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. swing — in golf
  3. capital — money
  4. root — of a word
  5. row — to paddle
  6. swing — to play on
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. row — a line
  10. root — the cause
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rule — government
  14. sharp — clever
  15. capital — a city
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. swing — music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rule — a law
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chair — to sit on

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