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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: bark · can · snap · safe · arm · degree · board · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. can — a tin
  6. bark — to shout
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — from a university
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. can — to be able to
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. field — a subject
  18. degree — temperature
  19. snap — to click
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. board — a committee
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. board — to get on
  24. degree — an amount

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