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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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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 · ruler · game · chip · snap · trunk · pass · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. pass — a permit
  3. degree — from a university
  4. game — a match
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chip — for betting
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. degree — temperature
  22. snap — to click
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. temple — side of the head

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