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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: charge · content · land · firm · toast · squash · prune · season

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. charge — a price
  6. land — a country
  7. prune — to trim
  8. land — ground
  9. firm — a company
  10. land — to come down
  11. charge — in control
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. toast — bread
  17. season — of the year
  18. content — the amount
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. charge — electricity
  21. content — happy
  22. prune — to trim
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. season — in sport

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