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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.

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 · march · field · fine · ball · ground · wind · land

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ground — the earth
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. ground — crushed
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. land — ground
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. march — the month
  12. vault — a safe
  13. land — to come down
  14. ground — a position
  15. ball — a great time
  16. land — a country
  17. field — for sport
  18. fine — high quality
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. fine — all right
  24. ball — a dance

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