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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: mark · wake · rush · perch · press · bulb · degree · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bulb — for light
  12. press — to push
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — happy
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rush — hurry
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. content — the amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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