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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: jam · kick · bore · stock · kid · court · net · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. lean — thin
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. court — of law
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kick — in football
  17. lean — to bend
  18. net — for catching
  19. stock — goods
  20. bore — to drill
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stock — shares
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stock — a soup base

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