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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: content · rush · nail · staff · charge · fork · court · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. charge — in control
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. court — for sport
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. court — of law
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. court — of a king
  16. spring — the season
  17. content — happy
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fork — in a road
  22. staff — a stick
  23. spring — of water
  24. charge — a price

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