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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · bat · can · chip · mug · land · sharp · craft

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. chip — for betting
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. can — a tin
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mug — a face
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rush — hurry
  9. land — a country
  10. mug — a cup
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. land — to come down
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. can — a tin
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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