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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: pop · firm · ground · tear · temple · sharp · chip · date

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. tear — from crying
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. chip — for betting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pop — to visit
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. firm — steady
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. tear — from crying
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chip — to eat
  14. date — the fruit
  15. ground — a position
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pop — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. pop — soda
  23. ground — crushed
  24. tear — to rip

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