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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: march · staff · rush · nail · pound · rock · content · current

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. current — electric
  4. march — music
  5. content — the amount
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. march — the month
  8. rock — music
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. current — happening now
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. content — happy
  14. current — of water
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. march — the month
  19. pound — a weight
  20. rock — a stone
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. staff — employees

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