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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: mate · degree · dip · roll · deal · spell · pitcher · charge

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. 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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. roll — a list
  5. mate — to breed
  6. spell — letters
  7. charge — a price
  8. degree — from a university
  9. spell — a short time
  10. degree — an amount
  11. spell — magic
  12. roll — a cake
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — electricity
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. charge — in control
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mate — a partner
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. 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