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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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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: cue · pitch · rule · root · vault · game · cell · tear

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pitch — completely
  4. tear — from crying
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. root — of a plant
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rule — a law
  11. tear — to rip
  12. game — a match
  13. cell — in biology
  14. root — the cause
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cell — a phone
  19. root — of a word
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rule — government
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rule — to rule out

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