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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: degree · suit · dip · pop · row · arm · safe · field

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. suit — to fit
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pop — to visit
  11. degree — from a university
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — temperature
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. row — a line
  17. pop — music
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pop — soda
  20. field — a subject
  21. suit — clothes
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. degree — an amount
  24. dip — to sink

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