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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: vault · squash · march · hide · land · bulb · mouse · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. vault — a safe
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. march — music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. field — farmland
  13. bulb — for light
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. land — to come down
  18. bulb — for light
  19. land — ground
  20. field — for sport
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. land — a country
  24. hide — to keep secret

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