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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
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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: key · coach · bear · calf · land · staff · jam · court

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. staff — a stick
  3. court — of a king
  4. land — to come down
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — ground
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. court — for sport
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. land — a country
  15. key — for a lock
  16. court — of law
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bear — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. key — the most important part
  24. calf — a young animal

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