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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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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: ground · rule · bark · stock · mark · pit · wax · object

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mark — a grade
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rule — government
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pit — in a race
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stock — shares
  14. object — an aim
  15. rule — a law
  16. object — to protest
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stock — goods
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. object — a thing

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