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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: degree · club · pass · bowl · temple · band · bay · net

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. club — for golf
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. degree — an amount
  7. club — a group
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. degree — from a university
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. net — for catching
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. net — after costs
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. net — in sport

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