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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. spring — of water
  4. court — of law
  5. content — happy
  6. spring — a coil
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spring — the season
  9. charge — in control
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. court — of a king
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. content — the amount
  14. charge — electricity
  15. court — for sport
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. charge — a price
  18. sharp — with an edge

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