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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. present — the time now
  3. court — for sport
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. present — a gift
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. court — of a king
  10. firm — decided
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mug — a cup
  14. spring — a coil
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spring — the season
  18. date — the fruit
  19. spring — of water
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. present — there
  23. court — of law
  24. toast — bread

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