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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 116 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: wave · board · cue · mate · snap · net · pass · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cue — a hint
  6. net — after costs
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pass — a permit
  10. net — in sport
  11. snap — to click
  12. board — to get on
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mate — to breed
  21. board — a committee
  22. net — for catching
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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