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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: temple · chip · trunk · ground · spell · pass · degree · bowl

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. degree — temperature
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. spell — a short time
  7. ground — a position
  8. pass — a permit
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. spell — letters
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. degree — an amount
  21. chip — to eat
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. spell — magic

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