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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: rock · bore · suit · jam · calf · leaves · court · net

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bore — to drill
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bore — to tire
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rock — music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. court — of law
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. net — for catching
  20. rock — a stone
  21. suit — to fit
  22. court — for sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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