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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 120 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
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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: lean · scale · patient · club · prune · charge · rest · mouse

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. charge — in control
  5. club — a group
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — a price
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — to bend
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. charge — electricity
  21. scale — in music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lean — thin

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