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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · rash · march · rush · mine · bulb · field · ground

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — hasty
  5. march — the month
  6. field — a subject
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ground — the earth
  12. field — for sport
  13. bulb — for light
  14. march — the month
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mine — for digging
  17. field — farmland
  18. rash — a series
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. march — music
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bulb — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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