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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: mark · rush · craft · capital · toast · bat · can · rash

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. mark — a grade
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mark — a trace
  14. can — to be able to
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. can — a tin
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — bread
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rush — a thrill

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