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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: firm · charge · spring · foot · court · bound · staff · content

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. court — of law
  3. charge — in control
  4. firm — decided
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. charge — electricity
  7. spring — the season
  8. content — happy
  9. charge — a price
  10. court — for sport
  11. firm — a company
  12. staff — employees
  13. firm — steady
  14. foot — a measure
  15. spring — a coil
  16. court — of a king
  17. bound — certain
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. content — the amount
  23. spring — of water
  24. bound — obliged

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