HOMOGRAPHS: Words with the same spelling and pronunciation, but different meanings and/or origins

date (Noun) : a kind of fruit; a calendar time

date (Verb): to determine the age; to "go out"

fast (Adjective): quick

fast (Verb): to abstain from food

Words with the same spelling, but stresses differently

desert (Noun): dry place

desert (Verb): abandon

address (Noun): where one lives

address (Verb): to give a speech

Homographs with different pronunciations and meanings, but same spelling

read (In present tense pronounced as [ ríyd ]

read (In past tense pronounced as [ red ]

do (noun [music] pronounced [ dóu ]

do (verb pronounced as [ dúw ]

lead (verb pronounced as [ líyd ]

lead (noun pronounced as [ led ]

Common HomographsBack to Top

Two words are homographs if they are spelled the same way but differ in meaning. Examples of
homographs are:

accent - a manner of speaking or pronunciation influenced by the region in which one lives or grew up/
stress or emphasis

bat - a winged animal associated with vampires /a sporting equipment used in baseball
buffet - a self-serve food bar/ to hit, punch or slap

bow - to bend at the waist/ a pair of tied loops / the front of a boat

content - happy or satisfied/all that is contained inside something

entrance - to bewitch, delight or enrapture /the place of entry

minute - 60th of an hour/ extremely small / 60 seconds or 1

tear - to rip/a drop of water from the eye

wind - to turn/ moving air

wound - an injury/ turned

lead - to go first with followers behind/a type of metal

fine - sharp or keen/very good/delicate or subtle/money paid to settle a matter

row - a fight/to propel a boat forward using oars/a line

wave - move the hand in greeting OR sea water coming into shore

close - nearby / to shut /

ExerciseBack to Top

Exercise 1: Underline the appropriate homograph in the below mentioned sentences.

The bandage was wound around the wound.

The band will record a new record.

She has tears in her eyes as she tears old photos.

Ileana will be second in line if she wait one more second.

My son plays in the sun.

The crew did well in digging the well.

He died and was put in the grave after a grave illness.

The farmer sows grain to feed the sows.

Please lower the shade lower than the window sill.

Because the wedding had to be perfect, Susan spent hours to perfect the dress.
Exercise 2: Choose from the options given below and fill in the blanks with homographs.

minute, intimate, close, exit, close, bass, refuse, entrance, present, bat,

Jonathan plays a ______ drum in the band.

Add in just a ______ amount of salt into the soup will do.

Mavis’s favorite animal is the fruit ________.

This is Ethan’s birthday ________.

Can you please help me throw away the _______?

Don’t sit too __________ to him, he is having a flu.

If the animal comes ___________, close the door

________ through the door having an exit sign.

The glittering lights over the entrance were meant to ____the guests upon arrival.

I intimate this to you, my most _________ friend.