Homonys & Homophones Practice

Homophones and Homonyms

In linguistics, a homonym is one of a group of words that share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings. This usually happens as a result of the two words having different origins. The state of being a homonym is called homonymy.

A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning. The words may be spelled the same, such as rose (flower) and rose (past tense of "rise"), or differently, such as carat, caret, and carrot, or to, two and too.

All homonyms are homophones because they sound the same. However, not all homophones are homonyms. Homophones with different spellings are not homonyms.

Homonyms

are the words that sound like one another, particularly when that are pronounced the same way but spelt differently.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines a homonym as: each of the two or more words having the same spelling and/or pronunciation or different spelling and/or pronunciation but different meanings and origins.

Example: Pole and Pole

The first Pole refers to a citizen of Poland who could either be referred to as Polish or a Pole. The second Pole refers to a bamboo pole or any other wooden pole.

The Complete List of Homonyms

Bail:

The temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial, sometimes on the condition that a sum of money is deposited in the court to guarantee their appearance in the court at a future date

        To scoop water out of a ship or a boat

        To make an emergency descent by parachute from an aircraft

        To rescue someone from a difficulty

Bale: A bundle of hay or dry grass

Bait:

Food used to entice fish or other animals as prey

To deliberately annoy, taunt or torment somebody

Bate: (Of a hawk) beat wings in agitation and flutter off a perch (term used in falconry)

Bald: A hair less person

Bawled: To have cried loudly

Band :

         A small group of musicians and vocalists

        A small group of people who have common interests and purposes Banned: Something that is disallowed or illegal

Bard: A poet, traditionally one reciting epics (the Bard is a reference to William Shakespeare)

Barred:

        enclosed by poles or bars

        Prohibited to do something and from going from somewhere

Bare: Naked or without any covering

Bear:

        A large, heavy mammal of the family Ursidae, of which there are several species, the largest being the Kodiak Bear of the Arctic regions

        (Stock Exchange) A person who sells shares hoping to buy them back later at lower price

Bear:

        Manage to tolerate (pain or problem etc…)

        Give birth to a child

Bark: The tough outer covering of a tree

Bark: The sharp explosive cry of a dog, fox or a seal

Bark: To utter (a command or order) abruptly and aggressively

Braque: A sailing ship, typically with three masts

Baron:

        A member of the lowest order of British nobility, minor royalty

        A powerful person in business or industry( for instance a press baron or a liquor baron) Barren:

        (of land) Too poor or infertile to produce much or any vegetarian

        (of tree or a plant) Not producing any fruit or seed

        ( of a female animal or woman) Unable to bear offspring or a child

        Bleak and lifeless

Baul: Singing minstrels of Bengal and Bangladesh

Bawl:

        To shout noisily or angrily

        To weep noisily

Beach:

        A pebbly or sandy shore at the edge of the sea or a lake

        To bring into the beach from water

Beech: A large tree with smooth grey bark, glossy leaves and hard, pale, fine-grained wood

Berry: A small juicy fruit without a stone

Bury:

        Put or hide understood

        {lace a dead body in the earth or in a tomb

        Cause to disappear or to become unnoticeable

        involve oneself deeply in something

Berth:

        A ship’s allotted place at a wharf or dock

        Moor or moored in a berth

        Provide a berth for a passenger on a train Birth:

        The emergence of a body or the young creature from the body of its mother

        The start of life as a physically separate being

        The beginning of something, the origin, descent, ancestry

Better: Superior, in a more advanced stage

Bettor: A person who plays or places a bet

Bite:

        Use the teeth to cut something into pieces

        (Of a fish) Take the bait at the end of the fishing net into mouth

        (Of a policy or situation)Take effect with unpleasant consequences

Byte: (Computing) a group of binary digits or bits (usually eight) operated on a unit

Bloc: An alliance or a group (of political parties or countries)

Block:

        A large solid piece of hard material with flat surface on each side

        A large single building subdivided into separate flats or offices

        An obstacle to the smooth or normal progress or functioning of something

Boar: A wild pig found in the jungle

Boer: A south African of Dutch descent

Boor: A rough and bad-mannered person, tasteless buffoon

Bore:

        To make a hole in something

        The hollow part inside a gun barrel or other tube

        A dull and uninteresting person or activity

        Make somebody feel weary and uninterested by virtue of being dull and tedious

Board:

        A long, thin, flat piece of wood used for floors or other building purposes

        The decision-making body of an organization

        The provision of regular meals in return for payment or services

        To get into a train or into a ship or into an aircraft

Bored: Weary of or uninterested in something or somebody

Bolder: More courageous or braver than somebody

Boulder: A large rock

Bole: A tree trunk

Bowl: A dish

Boos: Disparaging sounds or calls from fans

Booze: Alcohol or liquor

Borough: A town

Burrow:

        A hole or tunnel dug by a small animal as a dwelling

        To dig into or through something solid

Bough: A main branch of a tree

Bow:

        A knot tied with two loops and two loose ends

        A weapon for shooting arrows that is made of a curved piece of wood joined at both ends by a taut string

Bow:

1. Lower the head or bend the upper part of the body as a sign of respect, greeting or shame

        Cause to bend with age or under a heavy weight

        Give in to pressure or demands

        Withdraw or retire from something(to bow out)

Buoy: A navigational aid

Boy: a male child

Breach:

        An act of breaking a law or agreement or code of conduct

        A gap in a wall or barrier, especially one made by an attacking army Breech:

        The part of a cannon behind the bore

        The back part of a rifle or gun barrel

Bread:

      Food made of flour, water and yeast, mixed together and baked

        (Informal) Money

Bred: manner of upbringing – the past tense of breed

Broach: To raise (a sensitive) a subject for discussion

Brooch: An ornamental fastened to clothing with a hinged pin and catch

This is The Complete List of Homonyms beginning with B.

List of Homophones with examples

All [everything]                           All the people you invited have attended.

Awl [a small point tool]              The wood was carved with an awl.

Ail [troubles]                              Mental agony ails her.

ale [Kind of beer]                        They were with ale for dinner.

Altar [Platform for worship]       Sacrifices were offered on the altar.

Alter [to change]                          She had to alter her clothes after losing weight.

Aloud [noisely]                           Do not talk aloud.

Allowed [permitted]                    They were allowed to go out.

Ascent [The action of going up] Edmond Hillary made his ascent on Mount Everest first.

Assent [approval]                       The President gave his assent to the financial bill.

Advice [counsel]                         He gave an advice to his son .

Advise [To give counsel]            Teacher advised all the students.

Adapt [To fit]                              Sachin found difficult to adapt in England.

Be [To exist] You should be quiet.

Bee [Insect] Bees gives honey.

Blwe [did blow] Police man blew the whistle to stop the car.

Blue [A colour] I wear the blue trouser.

Sell [exchange things for money] They sell the fruits at a high price.

Cymbal [a round brass plate used in a musical instrument] Rosy plays the cymbal in our school band:

Dye [colour] He applied dye to his hair.

Fair [good]  She is a fair lady.

Fare [charge] The ticket fare has been hiked.

Flew [past tense for fly] Birds flew to warmer places.

Flue [pipe in a chimney] Smoke is let out through flue.

Grate [make harsh ground] The opposition parties grate the ruling party.

Knew [understood] She knew French.

Week [unit of time]        I will come in next week.

Weak [becoming pale] She is so weak that she cannot walk quickly.

Wring [to twist]                 Wring the clothes after wash.

Ring [circle to produce a sound] He rings the bell.