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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · cabinet · safe · capital · charge · chair · season · fine

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. fine — high quality
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. charge — in control
  5. capital — money
  6. season — in sport
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. capital — a city
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. season — of the year
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fine — all right
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. fine — a penalty

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