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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: pitch · foot · field · nail · rush · capital · lie · suit

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. capital — money
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. field — a subject
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pitch — completely
  16. suit — clothes
  17. capital — a city
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. field — farmland
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rush — hurry
  22. foot — a measure
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. field — for sport

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