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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: scale · pound · wave · board · branch · racket · cap · kick

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cap — a hat
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cap — a lid
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. board — to get on
  13. branch — a division
  14. board — a committee
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cap — of ice
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. pound — a weight
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. scale — size or range

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