What is Homograph? Definition, Examples, Exercises

What is Homograph: ‘Can you get me a can of water?’ Have you ever come across words like ‘can’ that look the same but have completely different meanings? Well, these intriguing words are called homographs. To put it in simple words, homographs are words that share the same spelling but differ in meaning and sometimes pronunciation. Understanding homographs is essential for precise communication and a deeper appreciation of the English language’s nuances.

As you continue reading this blog post, you will learn what is homograph. Also, you will explore common examples and understand how to differentiate their meanings.

What is Homograph?

What is homograph? A homograph is a word that is spelt the same as another word but has a different meaning. Often, though not always, homographs also have different pronunciations. This phenomenon adds a layer of complexity and richness to the English language. 

As for the origin of the word, the prefix homo- comes from the Greek word for “same,” and graph comes from the Greek word for “writing”; homographs are written—spelt—the same way.

Let us look at some of the examples of homographs to get a better understanding.

Homograph	Meaning 1	Meaning 2
Bat	I saw a bat flying at night.	He hit the ball with a bat.
Can	I can lift that box.	Please put the soda in the can.
Park	The children played in the park.	I will park the car here.
Bow	She tied a bow in her hair.	The actor took a bow.
Rose	She received a red rose.	The sun rose this morning

Also Read: What are Homophones?

20 Common Homograph Examples with Sentences

In our journey to learn what is homograph, we must also learn about common examples. Let us now look at some of the common homograph examples along with the sentences for your better understanding:

Homograph	Meaning 1	Sentence Example	Meaning 2	Sentence Example
Bat	Animal	A small bat flew out of the cave.	Sports equipment	He swung the bat and hit a home run.
Bow	To bend	The ballerina took a graceful bow.	Front of a ship	The bow of the ship cut through the waves.
Close	To shut	Please close the door gently.	Near	They live very close to the market.
Desert	Arid region	The desert is a very dry place.	To abandon	They decided to desert the abandoned house.
Minute	60 seconds	Wait just a minute, please.	Very small	The details were minute and hard to see.
Lead	Metal	The pipes were made of lead.	To guide	She will lead the team to victory
Tear	Water from the eye	A tear rolled down her cheek.	To rip	Be careful not to tear the paper.
Wind	Moving air	The wind is blowing strongly today.	To turn	Please wind the clock before bed.
Park	Recreational Area	The children played in the park.	To stop a vehicle	He will park the car in the garage.
Rose	Flower	She receives a beautiful red rose.	To come up	The sun rose early this morning.
Right	Correct	You are absolutely right.	Direction	Turn right at the next intersection.
Fair	Just	The judge made a fair decision.	Event	They went to the country fair.
Bank	Financial Institution	She deposited money at the bank.	Edge of a river	They sat on the river bank.
Present	Gift	She received a lovely birthday present.	To show	The teacher will present the award.
Record	Vinyl disk	She listened to her favourite record.	To register	They will record the meeting.
Object	Thing	That is a strange object.	To disagree	I object to that statement.
Produce	To create	The farm will produce many vegetables.	Fruits and vegetables	They bought fresh produce at the market.
Spring	Season of the year	Spring is my favourite season.	To jump	The cat can spring across the room.
Content	The information within	The content of the book was very informative	Satisfied	He was content with his simple life.
Wave	Water movement	The waves crashed against the shore.	Hand gesture	She gave a friendly wave.

Read more on Difficult Homonyms with Examples

Homographs with Pronunciation Differences

Homographs are words that share the same spelling but have different meanings and, in some cases, different pronunciations. This can lead to confusion, especially for language learners, as the context often dictates how a homograph is pronounced.

Let us look at the following examples of homographs which are pronouns differently based on their meanings:

Homograph	Meaning 1	Pronunciation 1	Meaning 2	Pronunciation	Example Sentence 1	Example Sentence 2
Lead	Heavy metal	/lɛd/	To guide	/liːd/	The pipes are made of lead.	Se will lead the team.
Wind	Moving air	/wɪnd/	To turn, cool	/waɪnd/	The wind is blowing strongly.	Wind the clock, please.
Close	Near	/kloʊs/	To shut	/kloʊz/	They live close to the store.	Please close the door.
Tear	Liquid from eye.	/tɪər/	To rip	/tɛər/	A tear fell from her eye.	Don’t tear the paper.
Minute	60 seconds	/ˈmɪnɪt/	Very small	/maɪˈnjuːt/	Wait a minute	The details were minute.
Present	Gift	/ˈprɛzənt/	To show	/prɪˈzɛnt/	I received a present.	He will present the award.

Homographs vs Homophones vs Homonyms: Key Differences

Now that we know what is homograph, let us understand the distinctions between homographs, homophones and homonyms. Knowing about these differences can greatly contribute to helping one improve their grasp of the English language. Below is a breakdown of the key differences between homographs, homophones and homonyms based on different parameters.

Feature	Homophones	Homographs	Homonyms
Definition	Words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.	Words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, and sometimes different pronunciations.	Words that are spelt and pronounced the same but have different meanings.
Spelling	Different	Same	Same
Pronunciation	Same	Sometimes Different	Same
Meaning	Different	Different	Different
Examples	to/too/two, there/their/they’re, sea/see	lead (metal)/lead (to guide), bow (to bend)/bow (front of a ship), tear (to rip)/tear (water from the eye)	bank (financial institution)/bank (river’s edge), bat (animal)/bat (sports equipment), fair (just)/fair (event)

Read more on Homophone vs Homonyms vs Homograph

How to Master Homographs?

Take a look at this comprehensive approach to help you confidently navigate these tricky words:

1. Build a Strong Foundation: To understand homographs, begin by understanding the definition of the word, along with its different meanings and pronunciations. Upon understanding, you will be able to differentiate between homographs, homophones, and homonyms. This will prevent confusion.

2. Develop Effective Learning Strategies: To make learning homographs interesting, you must adopt interesting methods to make learning fun. Some of the best ways are as follows: 

• Make a homograph list, flashcards, and read books, articles and materials regularly. Pay attention to how words are used in different contexts.
• You can also make use of the dictionary (both print and online). Look up unfamiliar words and pay attention to their multiple meanings and pronunciations.
• Don’t forget to put your learning to use. You must attempt to do exercises or create your own to practice identifying the correct meaning of homographs in sentences.
• For homographs with differing pronunciations, practice saying the words out loud. Use online resources that provide audio pronunciations.
• Create your own sentences using homographs with their different meanings. This will solidify your understanding.

3. Implement Consistent Practice: Review your homograph list and flashcards regularly to reinforce your learning. Pay attention to homographs in your everyday conversations and reading. You can also indulge in playing word games like Scrabble, crosswords, or word puzzles that challenge your vocabulary.

By combining these strategies and maintaining a consistent practice, you can significantly improve your ability to understand and use homographs correctly.

Also Read: Difficult Words with Meaning in English Vocabulary

Homograph Practice Exercises

After you have the answer to what is homograph,  it is time to put your knowledge into practice. Below we have provided you with 5 exercises to practice. You will also find answers to all the questions in the end.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Instructions: Choose the correct meaning of the homograph to complete each sentence.

1. I need to ________ the clock before it stops. (wind)

• a) moving air
• b) to turn

2. She wiped a ________ from her eye. (tear)

• a) to rip
• b) liquid from the eye

3. They decided to ________ the old building. (desert)

• a) arid region
• b) to abandon

4. The details on the watch were very ________. (minute)

• a) 60 seconds
• b) very small

5. He will ________ the award to the winner. (present)

• a) a gift
• b) to show

Check Answers:

1. b) To turn
2. b) Liquid from the eye
3. b) To abandon
4. b) Very small
5. b) To show

Exercise 2: Sentence Creation

Instructions: Create two sentences using the given homograph, each with a different meaning.

1. Bat
2. Can
3. Right
4. Fair
5. Spring

Possible Answers: 

1. Bat:

• The bat flew out of the cave.
• He swung the bat at the baseball.

2. Can:

• I can lift that box.
• Please put the juice in the can.

3. Right:

• You are absolutely right.
• Turn right at the corner.

4. Fair:

• The judge made a fair decision.
• We went to the county fair.

5. Spring:

• Spring is my favourite season.
• The cat can spring across the room.

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