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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: prune · charge · bulb · content · sharp · cabinet · toast · rule

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. prune — to trim
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rule — government
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bulb — for light
  13. prune — to trim
  14. content — happy
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. content — the amount
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. charge — a price
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rule — a law
  23. charge — in control
  24. rule — to rule out

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