Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and/or pronunciation but have different meanings. Homonyms can be categorized into two types: homophones and homographs.
Homophones are words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings, and often different spellings. For example, “to,” “too,” and “two” are homophones because they have the same pronunciation, but different meanings and spellings.
Homographs are words that have the same spelling but different meanings, and may or may not have the same pronunciation. For example, “tear” can mean a drop of water that comes from the eye, or to rip or pull apart. These two meanings have the same spelling, but different meanings.
Homonyms can be a source of confusion in written and spoken language, particularly for non-native speakers of the language. However, they are also an important aspect of the English language, and can add richness and depth to language and literature.
Air (a gas) and heir (a person who inherits)
Allowed (permitted) and aloud (audibly)
Ant (an insect) and aunt (a female relative)
Ball (a round object used in games) and bawl (to cry loudly)
Band (a musical group) and banned (prohibited)
Bare (naked) and bear (an animal)
Base (foundation) and bass (a type of fish or low-pitched sound)
Beach (a sandy shore) and beech (a type of tree)
Beat (to strike repeatedly) and beet (a root vegetable)
Berry (a small fruit) and bury (to inter)
Blew (past tense of “blow”) and blue (a color)
Brake (a device used to stop a vehicle) and break (to shatter or interrupt)
Buy (to purchase) and bye (a farewell or free pass to the next round in a tournament)
Cell (a unit of life) and sell (to trade)
Cent (a coin) and scent (a smell)
Cereal (a breakfast food) and serial (in a series)
Chord (a musical term) and cord (a string or cable)
Complement (to complete) and compliment (praise)
Council (a governing body) and counsel (advice)
Creak (a noise) and creek (a small stream)
Dear (beloved) and deer (an animal)
Desert (a barren area) and dessert (a sweet course after a meal)
Die (to pass away) and dye (to color)
Discreet (careful) and discrete (separate)
Draft (a preliminary version) and draught (a current of air)
Fair (just) and fare (the price of a ticket or transportation)
Flour (a powder used in baking) and flower (a plant)
Flue (a chimney pipe) and flew (past tense of “fly”)
For (in favor of) and four (the number)
Hair (on the head) and hare (an animal)
Hall (a room or building) and haul (to transport)
Hear (to perceive sound) and here (in this place)
Heal (to cure) and heel (the back part of the foot)
Higher (more elevated) and hire (to employ)
Holy (sacred) and wholly (completely)
Hour (60 minutes) and our (belonging to us)
Inn (a lodging) and in (inside)
Knight (a medieval warrior) and night (the opposite of day)
Knot (a tie) and not (the opposite of “is”)
Know (to be aware of) and no (the opposite of “yes”)
Laid (past tense of “lay”) and paid (past tense of “pay”)
Mail (postal correspondence) and male (the gender)
Main (most important) and mane (the hair on an animal’s neck)
Meat (animal flesh) and meet (to come together)
Medal (an award) and meddle (to interfere)
Morning (early in the day) and mourning (grief over a loss)
Need (a requirement) and knead (to work dough)
None (not any) and nun (a religious sister)
One (the number) and won (past tense of win)
Pair (a set of two) and pear (a fruit)
Pail (a bucket) and pale (light-colored)
Peace (calmness) and piece (a part of something)
Plain (simple) and plane (a type of aircraft)
Pop (a sound) and pop (a type of music)
Principal (the head of a school) and principle (a fundamental truth or belief)
Profit (a financial gain) and prophet (a person who predicts the future)
Quiet (silent) and quite (very)
Rain (precipitation) and reign (to rule)
Read (past tense of “read”) and reed (a plant)
Right (correct) and write (to put words on paper)
Ring (a piece of jewelry) and wring (to twist forcefully)
Road (a route) and rode (past tense of “ride”)
Role (a part in a play) and roll (to rotate)
Root (a plant part) and route (a path or way)
Sail (to travel by boat) and sale (an event where items are sold)
Scene (a setting) and seen (past participle of “see”)
Seam (a line where two things are joined) and seem (to appear)
Sell (to trade) and cell (a unit of life)
Sew (to stitch) and so (in that way)
Sight (the ability to see) and site (a location)
Sole (the underside of the foot) and soul (the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being)
Some (a certain amount) and sum (the total)
Son (a male child) and sun (a star that provides light and heat)
Stair (a set of steps) and stare (to look intently)
Stationary (not moving) and stationery (writing materials)
Steal (to take without permission) and steel (a metal)
Suite (a set of rooms) and sweet (having a pleasant taste or aroma)
Tail (the rear end of an animal) and tale (a story)
Team (a group of people working together) and teem (to be full of or swarm)
Threw (past tense of “throw”) and through (passing from one end to the other)
Throne (a royal seat) and thrown (past participle of “throw”)
To (expressing motion towards a destination) and too (also or excessively)
Toe (a digit on the foot) and tow (to pull with a rope or chain)
Troop (a group of soldiers) and troupe (a group of performers)
Vain (having excessive pride) and vein (a blood vessel)
Waist (the part of the body between the hips and the ribs) and waste (unwanted material)
Wait (to stay in one place for a period of time) and weight (a measure of heaviness)
War (armed conflict) and wore (past tense of “wear”)
Way (a route or method) and weigh (to determine the weight of something)
Weak (not strong) and week (a period of seven days)
Wear (to have on the body) and where (in what place or location)
Weather (the condition of the atmosphere) and whether (expressing a choice between alternatives)
Which (referring to a choice between alternatives) and witch (a female sorcerer)
Whose (possessive form of “who”) and who’s (contraction of “who is” or “who has”)
Won (past tense of “win”) and one (the number after zero)
Wood (a type of material) and would (expressing a conditional or future action)
Wound (an injury) and wound (past tense of “wind”)
You’re (contraction of “you are”) and your (possessive form of “you”)
Yew (a type of tree) and you (referring to the person being spoken to)
Homographs:
Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and sometimes different pronunciations. Here are some examples:
Tear – A drop of water from the eye / Tear – To rip or pull apart
Bass – A type of fish / Bass – A low, deep sound or voice
Bow – A weapon used for shooting arrows / Bow – A knot tied with a loop
Wind – Air in motion / Wind – To twist or turn
Lead – A heavy metal / Lead – To guide or direct
Object – A thing that can be seen or touched / Object – To disagree or oppose
Content – What is contained within something / Content – To be satisfied or pleased
Invalid – Not valid or legal / Invalid – A person who is physically or mentally disabled
Minute – A unit of time / Minute – Very small
Polish – To make something shiny / Polish – The language spoken in Poland
Close – Near or nearby / Close – To shut or fasten
Desert – A dry, sandy area of land / Desert – To abandon or leave behind
Entrance – The act of entering / Entrance – A doorway or gateway
Rebel – A person who resists authority / Rebel – To resist authority or control
Sewer – An underground system for waste disposal / Sewer – A person who sews
Row – A line of things or people / Row – To argue or quarrel
Sow – To plant seeds / Sow – A female pig
Lead – To be in charge of / Lead – A heavy metal
Permit – To allow or authorize / Permit – A document that allows someone to do something
Present – A gift or something currently happening / Present – To give or show something
Minute – A unit of time / Minute – Very small
Address – The location of a place / Address – To speak to someone directly
Record – A document of past events / Record – To make a document of events or sounds
Live – To be alive or in existence / Live – To watch or attend a performance
Invalid – Not valid or legal / Invalid – A person who is physically or mentally disabled
Refuse – To decline or reject something / Refuse – Garbage or waste material
Wind – Air in motion / Wind – To twist or turn
Tear – A drop of water from the eye / Tear – To rip or pull apart
Content – What is contained within something / Content – To be satisfied or pleased
Invalid – Not valid or legal / Invalid – A person who is physically or mentally disabled
Project – A plan or undertaking / Project – To extend beyond a surface
Close – Near or nearby / Close – To shut or fasten
Wind – Air in motion / Wind – To turn or twist
Contract – A legal agreement / Contract – To make smaller or narrower
Object – To express disapproval / Object – A thing that can be seen or touched
Row – A line of things or people / Row – To argue or quarrel
Sewer – An underground system for waste disposal / Sewer – A person who sews
Live – To be alive or in existence / Live – To broadcast or stream live
Complex – Complicated or intricate / Complex – A group of buildings or structures
Minute – A unit of time / Minute – Very small
Content – What is contained within something / Content – To be satisfied or pleased
Present – A gift or something currently happening / Present – To give or show something
Close – Near or nearby / Close – To shut or fasten
Wind – Air in motion / Wind – To turn or twist
Desert – A dry, sandy area of land / Desert – To abandon or leave behind
Invalid – Not valid or legal / Invalid – A person who is physically or mentally disabled
Tear – A drop of water from the eye / Tear – To rip or pull apart
Permit – To allow or authorize / Permit – A document that allows someone to do something
Record – A document of past events / Record – To make a document of events or sounds
Sow – To plant seeds / Sow – A female pig