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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: club · rash · scale · key · cabinet · mouse · rush · prune

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. scale — size or range
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. scale — in music
  24. rash — a series

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