Homograph
(listen to the audio below to know what is homograph?)
Read the following examples
The helpless bear had to bear the pain.
The words underlined above have the same spelling but they convey different meanings.
Such words are called Homographs.
Definition: A homograph is a word that has a similar spelling/written form as another word but conveys a different meaning.
Given below are few examples:
(1) Digest: The digest was illustrated beautifully.
It is difficult to digest the truth.
(2) Rose: The child rose from her seat and offered a rose to the Chief Guest.
(3) Subject: No subject in the curriculum should subject the child to unnecessary burden.
(4) Perfect: After trying to perfect the picture for sometimes he painted a perfect picture.
(5) Well: All was well with the donkey which fell in the well.
(6) Object: The object is an antique so authorities may object to its export.
(7). File: I prepared the file to file the Income Tax Returns.
(8) Bear: A bear is an omnivorous animal
She could not bear the injustice
(9) Bat: A bat is the only flying creature which is a mammal.
His bat broke as it struck the ball.
(10) Fine: He had to pay a fine for breaking the traffic signal.
Use a fine cloth for the baby’s clothes.
(11) Fair: We enjoyed a lot at the temple fair.
She has a fair complexion.
(12) Firm: He started his own firm at 25.
The teacher decided to be firm with the naughty kids.
(13) Train: The train starts from Kolhapur.
I train students to communicate with confidence.
(14) Type: Type the letter and post it today.
Ragging is a type of harassment.
(15) Post: She held the post of the Principal for 20 years.
Anil will post the message on the group.
Homographs are words that are spelled the same but may have different meanings and sometimes different pronunciations. Here are some examples of homographs with sentences:
1. Lead (pronounced “leed”):
– Meaning 1: To guide or show the way.
– Example: “He will lead the hiking group up the mountain.”
– Meaning 2: A heavy, malleable, bluish-gray metal.
– Example: “The pencil contains a small piece of lead.”
2. Tear:
– Meaning 1: To rip or pull something apart.
– Example: “She will tear the paper in half.”
– Meaning 2: A drop of clear salty liquid secreted by glands in your eyes.
– Example: “A single tear rolled down her cheek.”
3. Wind:
– Meaning 1: The natural movement of the air in the atmosphere.
– Example: “The wind blew the leaves off the tree.”
– Meaning 2: To turn or twist something, often referring to winding a clock.
– Example: “He needed to wind the clock to keep it running.”
4. Bass:
– Meaning 1: A type of fish.
– Example: “We caught a big bass on our fishing trip.”
– Meaning 2: The lowest adult male singing voice.
– Example: “The singer had a deep bass voice.”
5. Row:
– Meaning 1: A linear arrangement of objects.
– Example: “The books were neatly placed in a row on the shelf.”
– Meaning 2: To engage in a noisy quarrel or dispute.
– Example: “They often row about trivial matters.”
6. Object:
– Meaning 1: A thing or item.
– Example: “The strange object in the sky turned out to be a weather balloon.”
– Meaning 2: To express or feel disapproval or disagreement.
– Example: “She didn’t object to the proposal.”
7. Bow:
– Meaning 1: A curved weapon for shooting arrows.
– Example: “He aimed his bow at the target.”
– Meaning 2: To incline the upper part of the body as a gesture of respect.
– Example: “She gave a deep bow when accepting the award.”
8. Lead (pronounced “led”):
– Meaning 1: To be in charge or go first.
– Example: “She will lead the team to victory.”
– Meaning 2: A soft, heavy, bluish-gray metal.
– Example: “The toy soldier was made of lead.”
9. Tear :
– Meaning 1: To produce liquid from your eyes, often due to emotions.
– Example: “She couldn’t help but tear up when she heard the sad news.”
– Meaning 2: To damage or rip something.
– Example: “He accidentally tore the page in his notebook.”
10. Wound:
– Meaning 1: An injury to the body, typically involving a break in the skin.
– Example: “The soldier suffered a deep wound during battle.”
– Meaning 2: The past tense of the verb “wind,” meaning to twist or turn something.
– Example: “He wound the clock every morning.”
11. Content:
– Meaning 1: Satisfied or pleased with something.
– Example: “She was content with her life and didn’t want anything more.”
– Meaning 2: The subject or material within a book, website, or other medium.
– Example: “The content of the book was both informative and engaging.”
12. Object :
– Meaning 1: A thing or item.
– Example: “The object of the game is to score points.”
– Meaning 2: To express or feel disapproval or disagreement.
– Example: “He didn’t object to the decision.”
13. Refuse :
– Meaning 1: To decline or reject something.
– Example: “She had to refuse the invitation due to a prior commitment.”
– Meaning 2: Waste or items that have been discarded.
– Example: “The refuse bins were overflowing with garbage.”
14. Invalid :
– Meaning 1: A person with a disability or illness that limits their abilities.
– Example: “The parking space is reserved for invalids.”
– Meaning 2: Not valid or acceptable.
– Example: “The coupon had expired and was invalid.”