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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: rule · mark · content · stock · tear · ruler · march · wax

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rule — a law
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mark — a grade
  8. march — music
  9. rule — government
  10. march — the month
  11. content — happy
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stock — shares
  16. tear — from crying
  17. content — the amount
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tear — to rip
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. stock — goods
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. march — the month

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