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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · suit · degree · file · dip · arm · bowl · wound

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. dip — to sink
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. suit — in cards
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. field — for sport
  10. wound — an injury
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. field — farmland
  19. wound — an injury
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. degree — temperature
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. file — a tool

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