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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 116 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 · mouse · rush · club · spell · ground

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. club — for dancing
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. club — for golf
  6. spell — magic
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. club — a group
  10. rush — hurry
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. spell — letters
  13. prune — to trim
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed

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