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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: hand · net · snap · degree · club · roll · pass · temple

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. roll — a cake
  4. degree — from a university
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. snap — to click
  17. club — for dancing
  18. hand — in cards
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hand — help
  21. roll — a list
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. net — after costs
  24. temple — a place of worship

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