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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: net · fine · stock · hand · jam · court · pit · ruler

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. net — in sport
  4. fine — high quality
  5. net — after costs
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pit — a hole
  8. court — of law
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stock — goods
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. hand — help
  16. net — for catching
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. court — of a king
  24. hand — in cards

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