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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · court · arm · calf · key · cue · kid · leaves

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. cue — a hint
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. cue — for pool
  6. key — for a lock
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. content — happy
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kid — to tease
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. kid — child
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. key — in music
  16. court — of law
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. key — the most important part
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cue — a signal
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. court — for sport
  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