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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.

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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 · mouse · net · deal · calf · prune · scale · rash

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. prune — to trim
  3. scale — in music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. net — in sport
  7. club — for golf
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. club — for dancing
  15. net — after costs
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. club — a group
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rash — hasty

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