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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · bore · cue · toast · court · key · season · bear

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. season — of the year
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cue — a signal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bore — to drill
  21. court — for sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. toast — bread
  24. key — in music

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