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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 120 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: dip · sharp · ball · mug · mark · field · degree · arm

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — to rob
  6. field — for sport
  7. sharp — clever
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mug — a face
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. field — farmland
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. degree — from a university
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mug — a cup
  24. degree — temperature

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