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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: mouse · prune · foot · club · fork · rash · object · rest

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. rest — what's left
  7. object — an aim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. club — for golf
  10. fork — in a road
  11. club — for dancing
  12. object — a thing
  13. rest — what's left
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. club — a group
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rest — a break
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. foot — a measure
  23. object — to protest
  24. mouse — for a computer

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