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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: lie · jam · net · foot · court · roll · stick · spell

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. net — in sport
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. foot — a measure
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. net — after costs
  10. spell — a short time
  11. court — of law
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. court — of a king
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. court — for sport
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. spell — letters
  18. lie — to recline
  19. net — for catching
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. spell — magic

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