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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · cabinet · toast · wound · charge · leaves · march · court

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. charge — in control
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. court — of law
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wound — an injury
  10. toast — bread
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. court — for sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. court — of a king
  15. march — the month
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. march — the month
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. march — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — to trim

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