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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: branch · key · clip · stick · scale · bark · content · stand

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. clip — for paper
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. scale — in music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. clip — to cut
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. branch — a division
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. content — happy
  20. key — the most important part
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. content — the amount
  24. clip — a video

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