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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 · mark · rock · court · rash · hand · swing · safe

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — a series
  4. court — of a king
  5. hand — in cards
  6. swing — music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mark — a grade
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. court — of law
  15. mark — a trace
  16. content — the amount
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. court — for sport
  20. rock — music
  21. content — happy
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hand — help

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