Homonyms can be subdivided into homographs and homophones.
1) Homographs are words which are written in the same way but have different meanings
and pronunciation e.g. I read in bed each night. [ri:d]
I read War and Peace two years ago. [red]
2) Homophones are words which are pronounced in the same way but are spelt differently,
e.g. fare / fair; pale / pail; flower / flour etc.
3) Some homonyms have the same spelling, but are not the same word. Sometimes they
are different parts of speech. The meaning can be similar or completely different.
Let’s talk. I had a talk with him. (similar meaning)
Jill’s got fair hair. Life is not always fair. (different meaning)
1) How would you pronounce each of the underlined words in the sentences below?
Choose a word with a similar sound from the brackets.
1. Jane is the( a) lead singer in the group( b)‘Lead piping’. (head / deed)__________________
2. The pianist in the( a) bow tie took a (b) bow. (cow / flow) ____________________________
3. The wind blew the tree down. (find / tinned) _____________________________________
4. Don’t forget to wind your watch. (kind / tinned) ___________________________________
5. He suffered a terrible wound in the war. (found / mooned) __________________________
6. Sam wound his watch last night. (round / tuned) ___________________________________
2) Match the homophones, then translate them. 4) Complete each sentence using the same
A B word given in the box twice. One word is extra.
1. air a) site 1. prey a) grate
2. fare b) waste 2. they’re b) weight show / face / land / fair / trip /
/ left / park / plant / play / study /
3. our c) heir 3. sole c) pray
4. faze d) rays 4. its d) soul
5. waist e) hour 5. whine e) there
1. Tom shut the door of his__________ and tried to
6. sight f) phase 6.great f) wine ___________.
7. raise g) fair 7. wait g) it’s 2. We decided to _________ our car near the
_________.
3. Ann opened the door on the ________ and
3) Write one sentence using both of the words
________ the building.
corresponding to the phonetic script.
4. Please __________ the audience and take your
Example. [prei] Let us pray that we may never be hands away from your ___________.
prey to evil thoughts.
1. [greit] ___________________________ 5. Jeremy wanted to ____________ his new
___________________________________________ ______________to his friends.
2. [its] _______________________________
___________________________________________ 6. Which part did you ___________ in the school
3.[reiz] ______________________________ _____________?
___________________________________________ 7. Mrs. Smith wants to ____________ a tomato
4. [rait] ______________________________ _________ in her garden
___________________________________________
5. [sait] ______________________________ 8. The pilot had to ___________ the plane on a thin
___________________________________________ piece of _________near the lake.
9. During my field _______ I often _______ over one
every step I take.
