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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: saw · cue · bass · key · pitch · root · vault · capital

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bass — the fish
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. root — the cause
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pitch — completely
  16. vault — a safe
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bass — low music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. cue — a signal
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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