Homonyms Examples and What They Could Mean in Context

Homonyms share the same spelling or pronunciation but have different meanings. In such cases, context is the only way to figure out which meaning a speaker or writer intended. This article will define what homonyms are and give you a full list of examples of homonyms you've probably run into many times.

If you want to sharpen your language skills, knowing how to use homonyms can help. And if you ever need professional assistance with any of your papers, EssayPro is in your corner. Beyond your English papers, our academic writers also provide accounting homework help.

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Homonym Examples

Some homonyms look alike. Others just sound alike. In both cases, meaning depends entirely on how the word is used. Below is a homonyms examples list with 100 real cases.

Homonyms Examples with Sentences

Homonyms can be tricky, especially when the same word pops up in completely different contexts. Once again, the only way to understand the intended meaning is to pay attention to the sentence itself. These homonym examples in sentences will help you get more comfortable identifying them in your own writing.

Read also: Research paper examples to help you build your own.

Homophones vs. Homographs vs. Homonyms: How to Tell Them Apart

Just as two meanings of the same word can be confused with each other, these three terms - homophones, homographs, and homonyms - are also often used interchangeably. They have completely different meanings, though. Each one of them refers to a different kind of word relationship.

Homophones

Homophones sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. They can be a bit sneaky in writing since it’s easy to mix them up just by how they sound.

Examples of homophones:

• Pair (a set of two) / Pear (a fruit)
• Their (belonging to them) / There (in that place)
• Flour (used in baking) / Flower (a plant)
• To / Two / Too
• Right (correct) / Write (to form letters)

Homographs

Homographs share the same spelling but have different meanings. They might sound the same, or they might not. The only way to tell what they mean is by how they’re used in a sentence.

Examples of homographs:

• Lead (to guide) / Lead (a metal)
• Tear (rip) / Tear (from crying)
• Bow (to bend forward) / Bow (used with arrows)
• Bass (type of fish) / Bass (low musical pitch)
• Row (a line of objects) / Row (a fight or argument)

Homonyms

Homonyms look and sound the same but mean completely different things. They’re basically a mix of homographs and homophones. The only way to figure out what someone means is by looking at the context.

Examples of homonyms:

• Bat (flying mammal) / Bat (used in baseball)
• Well (in good health) / Well (a water source)
• Rock (a stone) / Rock (to sway)
• Lie (to recline) / Lie (to not tell the truth)
• Can (to be able to) / Can (a metal container)

To expand your knowledge of the English language, you can also check out our article about an example of oxymoron.

How Context Helps You Understand Homonyms

When it comes to common homonyms, context is really the only way to know which meaning someone’s going for.  Since these words are spelled and pronounced the same but carry completely different meanings, the surrounding sentence is what gives them away. So, reading the full sentence, or even the full paragraph, is often the only way to know what the writer really means.

Take the word well, for example. In “She dug a well,” it’s clearly about water. But in “He feels well today,” it’s all about health. Or think of the word bat. If someone says, “I saw a bat in the attic,” chances are they mean the flying kind, not a baseball bat. It all depends on what’s happening around the world.

Wrapping Your Head Around Word Twins

Let’s go over the most important points of the article so the differences between these terms stick with you:

• Homophones sound the same, but they’re spelled differently and mean different things.
• Homographs look the same in writing, but they can mean different things, and might not even sound alike.
• Homonyms are the trickiest since they look and sound the same, but their meanings totally depend on context.

And if you're working on a paper and still unsure about how to use these in your writing, EssayPro has your back. Our academic writers can give you much needed English assignment help to make sure everything reads professionally!

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