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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: kick · lie · mark · jam · net · pop · stock · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. net — after costs
  6. present — there
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. kick — in football
  11. pop — music
  12. present — the time now
  13. mark — a trace
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. net — in sport
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. net — for catching
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. kick — with a leg

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