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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: date · mate · charge · deal · cell · object

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. charge — a price
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cell — in biology
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. object — an aim
  9. deal — to handle
  10. object — a thing
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. charge — electricity
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cell — a phone
  15. date — the fruit
  16. charge — in control
  17. object — to protest
  18. mate — a friend

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