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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: toast · bulb · racket · rush · last · prune · charge · mate

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. last — final
  4. mate — a partner
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. charge — a price
  8. last — to go on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mate — a friend
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mate — to breed
  18. last — finally
  19. charge — in control
  20. bulb — for light
  21. charge — electricity
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. toast — bread

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