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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: pound · bass · stand · ground · mark · hide · content · jam

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. content — the amount
  7. ground — a position
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. content — happy
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mark — a grade
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stand — on your feet

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