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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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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: stand · court · net · bass · content · pound · bay · temple

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. content — the amount
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. net — in sport
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. net — after costs
  11. court — of a king
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. net — for catching
  17. court — of law
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. court — for sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. content — happy

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