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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 116 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: capital · track · pitch · deal · spring · bass · pass · cue

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cue — a signal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. spring — the season
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bass — low music
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. track — a path
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pitch — completely
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pass — a permit
  22. track — a song
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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