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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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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: cell · present · bound · clip · track · ruler · deal · content

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. clip — for paper
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. present — there
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. content — the amount
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bound — certain
  16. present — the time now
  17. track — a path
  18. bound — obliged
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. deal — to handle
  21. clip — a video
  22. content — happy
  23. clip — to cut
  24. present — a gift

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