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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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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: tear · pitch · file · suit · capital · field · dip · trunk

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. capital — money
  5. pitch — completely
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. tear — from crying
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. file — a tool
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. capital — a city
  20. field — farmland
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. trunk — of a car

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