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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: hide · board · ground · tear · pit · present

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. ground — the earth
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. board — to get on
  8. pit — a hole
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. present — the time now
  11. tear — from crying
  12. board — a committee
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. hide — to keep secret

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