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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: stand · firm · branch · bear · tube · scale · row · stick

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. firm — decided
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. firm — steady
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. scale — size or range
  11. firm — a company
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. scale — in music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bear — to put up with

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