Homonyms are words that have the same spelling or pronunciation but have different meanings. These words can cause confusion when used in written or spoken communication. English is full of homonyms, and it is essential to understand their meanings to avoid misunderstandings. In this blog post, we will explore some common English homonyms, and their meanings, and provide examples of how to use them.
A HOMONYM is a word that is spelled like another word (HOMOGRAPH) or pronounced like another (HOMOPHONE) but that has a different meaning.
fair (adjective) acceptable and appropriate – fair (noun) a field or park at with rides and games – fare (noun) money that you pay to travel by bus, plane, taxi
Homonyms can be tricky, but understanding them is important for effective communication. Learn how more about homonyms with lots of real example sentences that you can start using right away.
What is a homonym?
A homonym is a word that has the same spelling or pronunciation as another word but has a different meaning. In other words, homonyms are words that are spelled or pronounced the same but have different definitions.
There are several subset definitions of a homonym. Homographs and homophones are the two most basic.
From Wikipedia
- Homographs (literally “same writing”) are usually defined as words that share the same spelling, regardless of how they are pronounced.
- Homophones (literally “same sound”) are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of how they are spelled.
Why learn homonyms?
Homonyms can cause confusion and miscommunication, especially in written communication, where context and tone may not be as clear. Knowing the different meanings of homonyms helps to avoid misunderstandings and ensures that the messages being shared are clear.
Additionally, understanding homonyms can improve one’s writing skills by expanding your vocabulary and giving you more choices when you share a message or an idea.
Examples of Homonyms
1) Same Spelling – Same Pronunciation
Address (to speak to) and address (location)
・Politicians talk for a long time without addressing any real issues.
・Please write your name and address on the form.
Ball (a round object) and ball (a formal dance)
・The soccer player kicked the ball into the net.
・We dressed up and attended the ball at the fancy hotel.
Bank (a financial institution) and bank (the land alongside a river or stream)
・I borrowed money from the bank to buy my car.
・We had a picnic by the river bank.
Bark (the sound a dog makes) and bark (the outer layer of a tree)
・The dog barked at the mailman.
・The bark of the tree was rough to the touch.
Bat (an animal) and bat (a piece of sports equipment)
・He swung the bat and hit the ball out of the park.
・I saw a bat flying around in my garden last night.
Bear (an animal) and bear (to carry or endure)
・The bear was waiting near the river.
・He could not bear the weight of the heavy box.
Bow (a weapon for shooting arrows) and bow (tied ribbon)
・He aimed the bow and shot an arrow at the target.
・She wore a beautiful bow in her hair for the party.
Box (a container) and box (to fight with fists)
・The delivery arrived in a cardboard box.
・He used to box professionally before retiring.
Capital (a city or wealth) and capital (money or resources)
・The capital of France is Paris.
・The startup needs more capital to expand.
Club (a group of people) and club (sports equipment)
・We joined the book club to meet new people.
・She hit the golf ball with her club.
Crane (a large bird with a long neck and legs) and crane (a machine used to lift heavy objects)
・I saw a crane wading in the pond at the park.
・They used a crane to move the heavy equipment.
Duck (an animal) and duck (to avoid or lower one’s head)
・The duck swam gracefully in the pond.
・He had to duck to avoid hitting his head on the low doorway.
Fair (just or impartial) and fair (an event or amusement park)
・The teacher was strict but he was also fair.
・The fair had plenty of rides, games, and food.
Grave (serious or solemn) and grave (a place for burying the dead)
・She spoke in a grave tone about the seriousness of the situation.
・We gathered around the grave to pay our respects.
Here (a location) and hear (to perceive sound)
・I am here in the park.
・Can you hear me?
Lead (a heavy metal) and lead (to guide or direct)
・The wall is made of lead to protect against radiation.
・Can you lead the way to the nearest gas station?
Light (not heavy) and light (a source of illumination)
・She carried a light backpack on the hiking trail.
・The light in the room was too dim to read.
Mail (letters or packages) and mail (to send something by post)
・In Japan we get mail on Saturdays too. This is different from Canada.
・I will mail the letter to you tomorrow.
Match (a game or a partner) and match (to correspond or ignite)
・The soccer match was intense, and both teams played well.
・He struck a match and lit the candle.
Nail (a fastener) and nail (to hit with a hammer)
・He hammered the nail into the wall to hang the picture.
・She accidentally nailed her thumb while using the hammer.
Pole (a long, slender object) and pole (a person from Poland)
・The flag was raised on top of the pole.
・My friend is a Pole, and she loves her country.
Principal (most important) and principal (a school’s top position)
・The principal of the school announced the new policy.
・She was the principal dancer in the ballet.
Right (correct) and right (direction)
・You’re right, the answer is 10.
・Turn right at the traffic light to get to the supermarket.
Ring (a circular object) and ring (to call on the phone)
・She wore a beautiful ring on her little finger.
・I will ring you up later to discuss the details.
Rose (a flower) and rose (past tense of rise)
・He gave her a bouquet of red roses for Valentine’s Day.
・She rose early to get ready for her presentation.
Saw (a tool for cutting) and saw (past tense of see)
・He used a saw to cut the wood for the shelves.
・I saw a great movie last night with my friends.
Scale (a measuring tool or fish skin) and scale (to climb or balance)
・He used his kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients for the recipe.
・The climbers scaled the steep mountain to reach the summit.
Seal (an animal or a stamp) and seal (to close securely)
・My favorite animals at the zoo are the seals. They are very playful.
・She sealed the jar of pickles to keep them fresh.
Sole (only) and sole (the bottom of a foot or a fish)
・He was the sole winner of the competition.
・She had a blister on the sole of her foot.
Tail (the rear end of an animal) and tail (to follow closely behind)
・The dog wagged its tail excitedly when we arrived.
・The paparazzi tailed the celebrity to try and get a picture of her new baby.
Tire (a rubber ring) and tire (to become exhausted)
・The car had a flat tire on the highway.
・I tire easily after running just a few kilometers.
Trunk (an elephant’s nose or a storage compartment) and trunk (the main stem of a tree)
・The elephant used its trunk to pick up the banana.
・The squirrel quickly ran up the trunk of the tree when I let my dog into the backyard.
Waste (garbage) and waste (to use excessively)
・He threw the waste in the trash bin.
・She didn’t want to waste her time on a boring movie.
Wave (an ocean movement or a hand gesture) and wave (to greet or signal)
・The surfer rode the wave to the shore.
・She waved at her friend from across the room.
2) Different Spelling – Same Pronunciation
Bear (an animal) and bare (not covered by any clothes)
・The bear was fishing in the river.
・Simon forgot his bathing suit so he took off his clothes and jump in the lake bare naked.
Brake (to stop a vehicle or slow it down) and break (to separate, damage, or interrupt)
・He hit the brake to avoid an accident.
・If I sit on my glasses I will break them again.
Cell (a small room or a biological unit) and sell (to exchange for money for something)
・He was locked in a cell for the night.
・She wants to sell her old car and buy a new one.
Cite (to quote) and site (a location)
・She had to cite her sources in her research paper.
・The construction site was noisy and dusty.
Fair (just or impartial) and fare (money that you pay to travel by bus, plane, taxi)
・She was fair to other students.
・Let’s split the fare for the taxi ride.
Flour (a powdery substance) and flower (a plant part)
・I need to buy some flour to make bread.
・The garden is full of beautiful flowers.
Hair (on the head) and hare (a type of animal)
・She dyed her hair pink for her birthday.
・The hare ran quickly through the meadow.
Mail (letters or packages) and male (being a man or boy)
・I received a package in the mail today.
・There are only 3 male students in my English class. It’s 90% girls.
Meat (animal flesh) and meet (to come together)
・It’s a vegetarian restaurant so they don’t serve meat.
・We need to meet at the restaurant at 7 pm.
Medal (an award) and meddle (to interfere)
・He won a gold medal at the Olympics.
・She always meddles in other people’s business.
Night (period of darkness between sunset and sunrise) and knight (medieval warrior)
・I like to read before I go to bed at night.
・The knight rode on his horse into battle.
Pail (a bucket) and pale (light in color)
・He filled the pail with water from the well.
・She looked pale after being sick for a week.
Peace (calmness) and piece (a part of something)
・The yoga class brought her peace and relaxation.
・She broke the vase into several pieces.
Plane (a tool or aircraft) and plain (simple or unadorned)
・The plane flew over the horizon.
・She wore a plain black dress to the party.
Pour (to transfer liquid) and poor (lacking wealth)
・She poured milk into her cereal bowl.
・The poor family struggled to make ends meet.
Principal (most important) and principle (a fundamental truth or proposition)
・The principal of the school announced the new policy.
・She believed in the principles of honesty and integrity.
Right (correct or direction) and write (to make letters or numbers on a surface)
・Turn right at the next intersection.
・She loves to write stories and poems.
Stationary (not moving) and stationery (writing materials)
・Hitting a stationary is easy. To hit a moving target takes real skill.
・She bought some new stationery for her letter-writing hobby.
Tail (the rear end of an animal) and tale (a story)
・The dog wagged its tail happily.
・Frankie was known for telling tall tales.
Toe (a body part) and tow (to pull along)
・I walked into the coffee table and hurt my toe.
・She had to call a tow truck to move her broken-down car.
Waste (garbage) and waist (the area around the middle of the body)
・He threw the waste in the trash bin.
・As I got older the waist size of my jeans got bigger.
Wave (an ocean movement or a hand gesture) and waive (refrain from a right or claim)
・The surfer rode the wave to the shore.
・He waived his right to have a lawyer present during questioning.
3) Same spelling – Different pronunciation
Tips for identifying words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently –
Pay attention to the context
In many cases, the context of the sentence can give you a clue as to which pronunciation of the word is correct. The verb TO READ is a good example. In the sentence “I read a book yesterday” the verb can be pronounced with a short “e” sound (red) or a long “e” sound (reed). The use of the adverb yesterday gives us context, it tells us that this action happened in the past. The correct pronunciation is “red.”
Do you want to learn more about this verb? I wrote a complete blog post here Past and Past Participle of READ (Free PDF-Video-Quiz)
Check the stress
In English, the stress of a word can also help you determine the correct meaning. For example, the word “present” can be pronounced with the stress on the first syllable (PRE-Sent) or the second syllable (pre-SENT), depending on whether it is being used as a noun or a verb.
Here are some explanations and examples from my blog post Verb and Noun Pairs 200 examples (Pronunciation Guide+PDF)
How can I tell a noun from a verb?
Here is a simple way to tell if a word is a noun or a verb in a longer sentence.
Nouns often follow an article (a, an, the) or the possessive form of a noun or pronoun. (my, his/her, its, John’s, etc.)
Verbs will follow a subject and be conjugated (changed into past, present, future, continuous tense, etc.)
Noun – Happy birthday! I bought you a present. [PRE-sent]
The noun present follows the article a.
Verb – They will present their findings tomorrow at the meeting. [pre-SENT]
The verb present follows a subject – “They” – and is conjugated in the future tense. – “will present“
Use a dictionary
When in doubt, consult a dictionary to confirm the correct pronunciation. Many dictionaries will also provide audio pronunciations to help you hear the word spoken. The online dictionary that I use with all my students and link to in my blog posts is Oxford Learners Dictionaries
More examples of homonyms with the same spelling but different pronunciations
Bow (a weapon for shooting arrows) and bow (to bend forward in greeting)
・He used a bow and arrow to shoot at the target. (BOH)
・We bow at the beginning of every karate class. (BAU)
Lead (a heavy metal) and lead (to guide or direct)
・The pencil was made of lead. (LED)
・Can you lead the way to the nearest gas station? (LEED)
Minute (a unit of time) and minute (very small)
・She finished the task in under a minute. (MIN-IT)
・The minute details in the painting were stunning. (MAI-NEWT)
Tear (to rip) and tear (a drop of liquid)
・Be careful not to tear the paper when you open the envelope. (TAIR – like air)
・She wiped away a tear from her eye. (TEAR – like ear)
Wind (moving air) and wind (to twist or turn)
・The wind was blowing so hard that the trees were bending. (WIN・D)
・I need to wind my watch every few months. (WINE・D)
The Use Of Homonyms In Comedy
Comedians use homonyms in their jokes to create unexpected and humorous connections between two seemingly unrelated concepts.
Here’s a very simple example of a joke that takes advantage of the two meetings of tired.
Why did the bicycle fall over?
Because it was two-tired!
In this joke, the phrase two-tired is used instead of having two wheels, which creates a pun because it sounds like too tired and gives us a silly image of a tired bicycle.
Speaking of too tired, do you know the difference between TIRED OF and TIRED FROM? I wrote a complete blog post on this topic here – Tired OF something or Tired FROM something? (Video + Quiz)
Another way homonyms are used in comedy is to create confusion or misdirection. Comedians might set up a joke with one meaning of a word, only to deliver a punchline that uses the other meaning of the same word. This unexpected twist can create a surprise and generate laughter.
Why did the tomato turn red?
Because it saw the salad dressing!
There are two puns here. Can you find them?
First, in this joke, the word “turn” is used with the meaning of “change color,” which sets up the expectation that the punchline will be related to why the color of a tomato is red. However, the punchline delivers a different meaning of “turn red” which is “to become embarrassed.”
This is silly because fruits and vegetables do not get embarrassed.
Second is the double use of “dressing.” Dressing is a sauce for salads, that contains oil and vinegar. BUT Dressing is also the present continuous tense of the verb to dress, which means put clothes on.
The joke confuses the meaning of turn red and dressing to create an unexpected twist. The twist(s) is what makes the joke funny.
Homonyms Conclusion
Overall, understanding homonyms is an important aspect of language use and can enhance communication, writing, vocabulary development, and cultural awareness. Did I leave any common Homonyms out of this post? (I’m sure I did!) Please tell me in the comments.
More great English study posts.
- Spring Clean Your English & Boost Vocabulary & Listening Skills!
- English Spring vocabulary (10 New words + PDF download)
- The difference between GET and TAKE (80 examples + Video)
- Adjectives + Prepositions (95 Combinations + Video)
- How to Use Can Could May Might Must (Free PDF-Quiz-Video)
- English Conversation – Making Suggestions (30 Examples + Video)
- Autumn Or Fall? 4 Season Names (Learn their origins HERE)
