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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: kick · wave · pop · capital · cue · branch · band · board

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pop — music
  3. branch — a division
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cue — a signal
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. band — a ring
  9. capital — a city
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. band — a music group
  14. board — to get on
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pop — soda
  19. cue — for pool
  20. board — a committee
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. capital — money
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. branch — of a bank

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