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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.

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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: rock · kick · fine · content · rush · mate · key · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. key — in music
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mate — a friend
  12. kick — in football
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. mate — a partner
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. key — for a lock
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rock — music
  22. fine — all right
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. chip — for betting

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