Homophones:
Words which sound similar but either their meanings or their grammatical functions are completely different, that is, they are two different words.
Example:
Allowed - The teacher allowed me to go home a little early.
Aloud - Please read this poem aloud.
Homonyms:
Words that have the same spelling and same pronunciation, but different meanings.
Example:
(a) telling a lie
I hope you are not lying to me.
(b) being in a horizontal position
My books are lying on the table.
Homophones
Homephomes
Meanings
Homophones
Meanings
accept (V)
to take, to agree
ad (N)
advertisement
except (Prep)
apart from
add (V)
addition
advice (N)
opinion
air (N)
mixture of gases around us
advise (V)
to saggest / counsel
heir ( N )
inheritor
altar (N)
higher platform for worship
ascent (V)
to climb
alter (V)
to change
assent (V)
to agree/consent
bat (N)
grant liberty or security
berth (N)
a bed on trains/ships
bale (N)
bundle
birth (N)
be born
bard (N)
poet
broach (V)
raise a subject
barred (Ad)
enclosed by poles/ prevented from doing something
brooch (N)
an ornament used to fasten clothes
beat (V)
to hit/strike
bread (N)
a type of food made from flour
beet (N)
a kind of vegetable
bred (V)
past tense of breed
cast (V)
to look/to throw or discard something
cite (V)
to refer to something/ to write or say the words of a book etc.
caste (N)
a social class
site (N)
location
sight (N)
vision
check (V)
to examine
don (V)
put on
cheque (N)
a mode of payment
dawn (N)
sunrise
cereal (N)
grains
drawn (V)
past tense of 'draw'
serial (Ad)
arranged in a series
drown (V)
die through submersion in water
die (V)
cease to exist
earn (V)
to get money for work you do
dye (V)
apply colour
urn (N)
container
dose (N)
an amount of something
edge (N)
border
doze (V)
light sleep
age (N)
time/ period
ear (N)
a sense organ
feat (N)
an act of skill or courage
year (N)
365 days
feet (N)
plural of foot
Angel - An angel appeared to the child in a dream.
Angle - A triangle can have only one right angle.
Berth - We cancelled the trip because we weren't getting a berth.
Birth - You must write your date of birth correctly.
Brake - The brake failed and the bus hit the Maruti car in front of it.
Break - This vase is made of glass. If it falls, it will immediately break.
Cell - This transistor works on two pencil cells.
Sell - We want to sell our old furniture.
Died - His father died at the age of eighty.
Dyed - She dyed her hair dark brown.
Dose - Just one dose of this medicine cured me of my headache. (of medicine)
Doze - If I can doze for a few minutes, I will again become fresh. (light sleep)
Floor - We want to cover the floor with a carpet.
Flour - Chapatis are usually made of wheat flour.
Hair - Grey hair is thought to be a sign of wisdom.
Hare - The hare could run very fast but it was lazy.
Heal - The wound took a long time to heal.
Heel - He fell on a piece of broken glass and got a cut on the heel.
Pain - She over-ate and got pain in the stomach.
Pane - The ball hit the window pane and broke it.
Pair - I have bought a new pair of shoes.
Pare - You must pare your nails regularly.
Peace - A country can progress only during peace time.
Piece - I need a piece of rope to tie this bundle.
Pray - I pray to God for your good health.
Prey - The tiger jumped on its prey.
Principal - My mother went to the school to meet the Principal.
Principle - Gandhiji always followed noble principles. (a basic rule)
Quiet - This child cannot keep quiet even for two minutes.
Quite - My father was quite satisfied with my result.
Root - A plant gets water through its root.
Route - Trains running on this route are often late.
Stair - The man slipped while climbing the stairs.
Stare - It is a bad habit to stare at anyone.
Storey - My room is on the upper storey of the house.
Story - My grandmother told me a very interesting story.
Their - Their house is small but comfortable. (from 'they')
There - We went there in a group. (opposite of 'here')
Wait - Don't wait for me for more than ten minutes.
Weight - What is the weight of this bag of cement?
(look at)
Homonyms
Example
Meaning
1
The kids are going to watch TV tonight. What time is it? I have to set my watch.
(look at) ((small clock worn on the wrist) )
2
Which page is the homework on? Please page the doctor if you need help.
(one sheet of paper) (to call someone on an electronic pager)
3
Let's play soccer after school. The author wrote a new play.
(participate in a sport)(theatre piece)
4
Ouch! The mosquito bit me. I'll have a little bit of sugar in my tea.
(past tense of bite) (a tiny amount)
5
My rabbits are in a pen outside. Please sign this form with a black pen.
(an enclosed area) (a writing instrument which uses ink)
Homonyms are words that are spelt and pronounced like another but have a different meaning.
Some examples of homonyms are:
Bank - a place where money is stored
Bank - River bank
Ring - to call someone on the phone
Ring - A band on the finger
Homophones are words that are pronounced the same as another but have different spelling and meaning.
Some examples of homonyms are:
Heal - The wound took a long time to heal
Heel - He fell on a piece of broken glass and got a cut on the heel
Pain - She over-ate and got pain in the stomach
Pane - The ball hit the window pane and broke it
Homophones & Homonyms are important in improving spelling and help in developing vocabulary.