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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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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: jam · calf · cold · cue · court · cabinet · toast · board

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. court — of a king
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. court — for sport
  6. cue — a signal
  7. toast — bread
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — not warm
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cold — an illness
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. board — a committee
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. court — of law
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cue — a hint
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. board — to get on
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. cue — for pool

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