Different Usage of Same Word

How frequently do you look up a word in the dictionary, only to discover that it has a single definition printed next to it? The answer is almost never! It is rather uncommon for words to have meanings that differ from one another by a small amount; nevertheless, the meanings of homonyms and homographs diverge in significant ways.

Homonymic Illustrations

Words are considered to be homonyms when they share the same pronunciation and spelling but have different meanings. When words share a similar appearance but have distinct meanings, communication can get confusing. Here is where knowledge about the context comes into play. Even though a single word can take on a variety of connotations, the context of the rest of the sentence ought to be sufficient to provide some insight into the topic at hand. There is a large number of homonymous cases.

• arm

My arm is currently covered with ant bites.

It is critical to equip oneself with a strong education.

• bark

When I knock on her door, I really hope her dog doesn’t respond by barking.

The bark of the tree can be rather rough to the touch.

Pretzels that are wrapped with almond bark are one of my favourite snacks to consume.

• clip

A portion of that video was very entertaining to watch.

My mother is going to cut my hair when she gets home.

The speed at which the boat is travelling is not quite slow.

• crane

That is a crane, by the way.

In order to lift the heavy thing, they had to resort to using a crane.

In order for her to watch the movie, she had to strain her neck.

• date

Dates are her go-to choice when it comes to fruit.

Joe asked Alexandria on a date and they went out together.

I don’t want to sound too dated, but I recall listening to radio broadcasts when I was younger.

When did you come into this world?

• dough

I shall prepare some cookie dough in a large quantity.

When I finally get paid, I’ll have enough money to treat myself to a trip to the arcade.

• drop

I hope I don’t drop my books.

I relished every last drop of my milkshake.

• engaged

On March 7th, they announced their engagement.

During the presentation, the kids showed a high level of interest and participation.

• fall

I adore the cool, fresh weather that October brings.

Be careful not to hurt yourself on the way to the gym.

• foil

I would appreciate it if you could cover the sandwich with aluminium foil.

In English class, they were instructed on how to play the part of a dramatic foil.

• feet

It’s a pain in my feet.

How many feet in length are each of the desks?

leaves The kids have a great time running around and playing in the leaves.

When their father has to leave for work, it is really upsetting for them.

• left

Yesterday evening, she forgot to take her book out of her locker.

My foot on the left side is killing me.

• letter

My guy received a letter for his performance in track.

I was fortunate enough to get a letter from my roommate at summer camp.

I can’t contain my excitement till I find out what letter grade I got in English.

• net

What was the total profit you made for the year?

If you have a net with you, crab fishing will be much simpler.

• park

I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with parallel parking.

I’m going to take my dog out for a stroll in the park right now.

• point

The tip of the pencil is rather pointy.

Indira Point is the southern most point of India.

It is considered rude to point at other individuals.

• right

You have a point there.

At the light, you should turn to the right.

It is a fundamental human right to have access to clean water.

• peer

The writing was accepted for publication in a journal that uses a peer review process.

I have this intense need to look into the bag that she is holding.

• rose

A rose is my most favoured type of flower.

He jumped up from his seat in a hurry.

• scale

Can you tell me how big things are on that map?

The number that appears on the scale in the bathroom fills me with dread.

• ship

This package needs to be shipped immediately.

When I think about travelling on a ship, I can’t help but feel a little anxious.

Homophone Examples

Although they are not exactly the same as words that can be interpreted in more than one way, homophones, homonyms, and homographs are all strongly connected to one another. Homophones are words that have the same pronunciation but are spelled and have meanings that are distinct from one another. The pronunciation of these terms is same, but their spellings and meanings couldn’t be more different. There are numerous instances of homophones in use.

• alter/altar

What steps did you take to change your identity?

Let us go to the altar and worship the Lord there.

• ate/eight

We shared three enormous pizza pizzas amongst ourselves.

In total, there were eight of us present.

• band/banned

Let’s get ready to head out to the theatre to see my favourite band perform.

In order to show our support for her newest album, we banged together.

• blew/blue

Caleb extinguished the birthday candles by blowing on them.

It’s hard for me to comprehend that he purchased blue suede shoes.

• boar/bore

They were forced to hunt wild boar in order to maintain their existence on the isolated island.

I beg you, please not make me bored.

• buy/bye/by

Why did she purchase a purse that cost over $1,400?

I really hope this isn’t the end of our relationship.

Don’t let life pass you by.

• canon/cannon

The canon law of the Catholic church provides people with guidelines to follow in daily life.

Let’s check out the historic cannon at Fort Henry together.

• coarse/course

The horse’s mane was rough and unruly.

She is responsible for teaching a very challenging class.

• fair/fare

Even though her class is challenging, she is an understanding instructor.

Do you have the money for our bus ride?

Wow, I can’t imagine how successful he will be in Congress.

• foul/fowl

This tea has an odour that is really repulsive.

Ducks are a species of fowl, in case you were unaware.

• genes/jeans

They share the same genes that come from Scotland.

I’m looking to purchase a pair of jeans with a dark wash.

• grate/great

Her heel became entangled in a grate while she was walking in New York City.

If I give you the garlic to cut, could you grate the cheese for me?

I really like your fettucini alfredo dish.

• hour/our

A session that lasts for two hours is taught by her.

This is the third time that we have visited Japan.

Conclusion

Words that share the same spelling but have a distinct meaning yet have the same sound are called homophones. Homographs are words that share the same pronunciation and spelling but have different meanings. Homonyms can either be one or even both of these things. Think about the origins of the words to help you remember them: homophones and homographs share the same pronunciation (from the Greek phonos), homonyms come from the Greek term that means “name,” and homographs and homophones share the same spelling (from the Greek graphein) (onyma). There are a great number of facets of the English language that are capable of being regarded as being complex or even vexatious. There are a significant number of terms, for example, that have multiple spellings but have the same pronunciation. Alternatively, all of the terms that have the same spelling but a completely different pronunciation. Or the fact that there is a single word that can be used to describe two types of words that couldn’t be more unlike. We are pleased to welcome you to the world of homophones, homographs, and homonyms.