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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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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: press · toast · perch · rule · squash · bulb · court · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — newspapers
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rule — government
  7. court — for sport
  8. toast — bread
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rule — a law
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. perch — the fish
  16. press — to push
  17. bulb — for light
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. court — of law
  20. squash — the sport
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wake — a trail
  24. court — of a king

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