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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · kid · racket · march · safe · pitcher · bound · content

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. march — the month
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bound — certain
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. kid — child
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kid — to tease
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. march — music
  16. rash — a series
  17. march — the month
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bound — obliged
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rash — hasty
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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