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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. court — of a king
  3. craft — a skill
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. court — for sport
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. craft — boats
  10. bear — the animal
  11. date — the fruit
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. firm — a company
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. court — of law
  17. firm — steady
  18. bear — to put up with

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