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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: bulb · pit · pitcher · cue · rash · wake · court · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. court — of a king
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cue — a hint
  7. court — of law
  8. press — to push
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bulb — for light
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. court — for sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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