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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: ruler · chip · present · clip · mate · content

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. clip — to cut
  3. mate — a partner
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. present — a gift
  9. chip — for betting
  10. present — the time now
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. clip — a video
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. clip — for paper
  15. content — happy
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mate — a friend
  18. present — there

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