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A homophone is a word that has the same sound as another word but is spelled differently and has a different

meaning:

NUMBER HOMOPHONES

1. One, won

One (noun): The number that comes after 0 but Won (verb): The past tense of ‘win’.
before 2. The football team won two games in a row.
2. Two, to, too

Two (noun): The number that To (preposition): In the Too (adverb): To a higher
comes after 1 and before 3, a direction of a particular degree than desired, also.
pair. location. The girl was too tired to work. I
He bought two packets of crisps. I am going to the shop. was tired too.

3. Four, for

Four (noun): The number that comes after 3 and For (preposition): If someone receives
before 5. something, if something is done for a reason.
The clock struck four. I bought John some sweets for his birthday
(for him to eat).
4. Eight, ate

Eight (noun): The number that comes after 7 and Ate (verb): Past tense form of ‘eat’.
before 9. We ate dinner together then went home.
There were only eight days left until Christmas.

FOOD & DRINK HOMOPHONES

5. Steak, stake

Steak (noun): Prime cut of meat, usually beef. Stake (noun): A strong wooden post with a sharp
My all-time favourite meal is steak and chips. point at one end.
Vampires can only be killed with a stake through
the heart!

6. Bean, been

Bean (noun): Edible seed that grows in pods on Been (verb): Past tense form of ‘be’.
leguminous plants. Where have you been all night?
Baked beans on toast is a traditional British dish!
7. Pear, pair

Pear (noun): Common type of fruit. Pair (noun): A set of two things (often used
Would you like a pear from the garden? together).
He couldn’t find a matching pair of socks.

8. Bread, bred

Bread (noun): Type of food. Bred (verb): Past tense form of ‘breed’ – to raise or
Our local bakery sells the best develop animal stock.
wholemeal bread for miles! In the past, many farmers bred rabbits for meat and fur.

9. Cereal, serial

Cereal (noun): Grain used for food (e.g. wheat), Serial (noun/adjective): A story or programme
type of dried breakfast eaten with milk. delivered in instalments, taking place in series.
My favourite cereal is cornflakes. The serial killer loved watching serials on TV!

10. Flour, flower

Flour (noun): Ingredient used to make bread and Flower (noun): Seed-bearing part of a plant.
cakes. Her husband gave her a nice bunch of flowers on
This recipe uses two cups of flour and 1/4 cup of her birthday.
sugar.
11. Meat, meet

Meat (noun): Food from the flesh of an animal. Meet (verb): Arrange or happen to cross paths
The hotel guests got food poisoning because with somebody.
the meat wasn’t cooked properly. I’m going to meet my friend at the train station
this evening.
12. Chilli, chilly

Chilli (noun): Small spicy pepper or pod used in Chilly (adjective): A bit cold, not warm.
cooking. Don’t forget your coat! It’s a bit chilly out today.
I ordered the Mexican Hot Pizza, but couldn’t eat
the chilli on top!
13. Mussel, muscle

Mussel (noun): Mollusc with purple-brown shell. Muscle (noun): Type of human body tissue.
I had the mussels as a starter and they were What do you prefer in a boyfriend – brains
delicious! or muscles?
14. Wine, whine

Wine (noun): Alcoholic drink made from fermented Whine (noun/verb): Long high-pitched cry,
grapes. complain.
Chilled white wine goes well with fish. The little dog shivered by the door and let out
a whine.
15. Bite, byte

Bite (noun/verb): Tear something apart with teeth. Byte (noun): Unit of measurement of digital
Let’s grab a bite to eat in town after work! information.
How many bytes are there in each character in
MS Word?
16. Grate, great

Grate (verb): Shred into small pieces using a food Great (adjective): Large, prominent, very good.
grater. The Great White Shark is a great hunter!
The recipe says we need to grate the cheese into
the sauce.
17. Berry, bury

Berry (noun): Small pulpy fruit. Bury (verb): Put or hide underground.
Did you know that watermelons are a type of You shouldn’t bury your head in the sand each
large berry? time there’s an argument.
18. Currant, current

Currant (noun): Type of berry, also of dried berry Current (noun/adjective): Strong flow of water,
variety. present or up-to-date.
We have lots of currant bushes at the bottom of Surfers should be aware of the
our garden – both red- and blackcurrants. strong currents along the south coast of England.

19. Leek, leak

Leek (noun): Long white and green stick-like Leak (noun/verb): Hole through which fluid can
vegetable in the onion family. escape accidentally, drip out.
Wales is famous for its rainy weather and its Our roof has got a leak so we need to fix it before
giant leeks! winter comes.
20. Maize, maze

Maize (noun): Corn. Maze (noun): Labyrinth.


It is common for manufacturers to use maize as Chatsworth House has a maze that is made up of
an ingredient in many processed foods. a network of paths and hedges.
21. Thyme, time

Thyme (noun): Type of aromatic herb. Time (noun): Period, measure of


What goes best with roast chicken – thyme or seconds/minutes/hours/days/etc.
rosemary? How much time does it take to cook a roast
chicken?
22. Sauce, source

Sauce (noun): Liquid used to add flavour to food. Source (noun): Origin, cause of something.
This Chinese cooking sauce uses a variety of Citrus fruits are a good source of vitamin C.
citrus fruits.
23. Sweet, suite

Sweet (noun/adjective): Candy, food with a sugary Suite (noun): Set of rooms or technical
taste. instruments.
If you eat up all your vegetables, I’ll let you have The journalist interviewed the rock star in his
one more sweet! London hotel suite.
24. Mousse, moose

Mousse (noun): Light and fluffy dessert. Moose (noun): Large animal in the deer family.
The French restaurant opposite our office sells the Do people eat moose in Canada? They certainly
best chocolate mousse in town! have a lot of them!

ANIMAL HOMOPHONES

25. Hare, hair

Hare (noun): Animal that looks like a large rabbit. Hair (noun): Growing from the skin of humans
The hare hopped through the woodland. and other animals.
Her hair was so long that she had to wear a large
hat to work!
26. Bear, bare

Bear (noun): Type of large hairy animal. Bare (adjective): Naked, without
Our local pub is called The Brown Bear. clothes/covering, plain.
If you walk around with bare feet you might cut
yourself!
27. Deer, dear

Deer (noun): Large animal with antlers, similar to Dear (noun/adjective): Beloved person,
a small elk or moose. expensive.
Some UK farmers keep deer and breed them for The wedding ring you’ve chosen is a bit too dear,
their meat (venison). my Dear!
28. Gorilla, guerrilla

Gorilla (noun): Large ground-dwelling ape. Guerrilla (adjective/noun): Unauthorised and


African gorillas live in mountainous forests in the irregular (military) action, partisan fighter.
west of the country. The Colombian guerrillas lived in the jungle and
sometimes attacked government troops.
29. Sole, soul

Sole (noun): Variety of marine flatfish. Soul: Spirit, immortal part of a human.
I really love grilled sole with a touch of lemon! For my philosophy course, I have to write an
essay about the human soul.
30. Flea, flee

Flea (noun): Small jumping parasitic insect that Flee (verb): Run away or escape from danger.
often lives on dogs or cats. After 3 months of bombing, the family decided
I caught a flea on our cat today so we’ll need to to flee the conflict in their war-torn city.
wash him with special shampoo.
31. Boar, bore

Boar (noun): Wild pig. Bore (verb/noun): Make someone bored or


We saw a boar and a tiger when we visited the disinterested, a boring person.
local zoo. John‘s such a bore! All the guy talks about is golf
and work!
32. Horse, hoarse

Horse (noun): Four-legged animal often used for Hoarse (adjective): Describes a rough or husky
riding or work. voice due to a sore throat.
When my grandfather was young, he went to I was feeling hoarse before the concert, but
school on a horse and cart. managed to sing when I got up on stage.
33. Lynx, links

Lynx (noun): Type of medium-sized wild cat. Links (noun): Plural form of ‘link’, connections or
In American Indian mythology the lynx is points of contact.
considered a ‘keeper of secrets’. Our company has links to suppliers all over the
world.
34. Whale, wail

Whale (noun): Largest (marine) mammal on Earth. Wail (noun/verb): High-pitched cry of pain, anger
Thanks to the work of conservationists, most or sadness.
species of whale are now protected. I heard a patient wail in agony from the
neighbouring (hospital) ward.
35. Mare, mayor

Mare (noun): Adult female horse. Mayor (noun): Elected leader of regional
Children often came from the village to feed government.
apples to the old mare. The mayor cut the ribbon at the museum opening
ceremony.
36. Toad, towed, toed

Toad (noun): Type of large brown Towed (verb): Past tense of Toed (adjective): Having toes.
frog. ‘tow’, when one vehicle The three-toed sloth lives in the
There’s a toad living in our garden pulls another. jungles of Borneo.
pond and my daughter has named When our car broke down,
it ‘Freddy’! a neighbour kindly towed it
home for us.
37. I, eye

I (pronoun): Used by a speaker to refer to Eye (noun): The pair of organs that allow us to
himself/herself. see.
I did not enjoy the film. He is blind in one eye.
39. You, ewe, yew

You (pronoun): Used to refer to the Ewe (noun): Female sheep. Yew (noun): Type of evergreen
person or people being addressed. The little lamb followed its tree.
Would you like to come round for mother as the ewe crossed Traditional English longbows were
dinner sometime next week? the field. often made from yew (wood).
41. You’re, your

You’re (contraction): Short form of ‘you are’. Your (determiner): Belonging to the person the
You’re my best friend. speaker is addressing.
Hi, I’m Jack! What’s your name?
42. Our, hour

Our (determiner): Belonging to the speaker and Hour (noun): Period of 60 minutes.
one or more other person. The queue for the roller coaster was over
We 43.
bothThey’re,
got ourtheir, there
hair cut at the same place! an hour so we didn’t go on it.

They’re (contraction): Short form of Their (determiner): There (adverb): In, at, or to a
‘they are’. Belonging to a person or given place.
My brother and his girlfriend got thing being mentioned. I threw the ball and now it’s
engaged because they’re really in Parents are often keen to over there.
love. help their children
with their homework.
47. We’ll, wheel

We’ll (contraction): Short form of ‘we will’. Wheel (noun): A circular object used to move
We’ll have to run; otherwise we’ll miss the bus! things over the ground.
The back wheel of my bike is bent and needs to
be replaced.
50. He’ll, heel, heal

He’ll (contraction): Short for ‘he Heel (noun): Back part of a Heal (verb): (Cause to) become
will’. foot or shoe below the healthy again.
He’ll win the tennis match if he ankle. The cut on your foot will heal by
scores the next point. He stood on a nail and cut itself, but you must keep it clean.
his heel.
55. Which, witch

Which (pronoun/determiner): Used when asking Witch (noun): Woman with magic powers, usually
for information about people or things. evil ones.
Which of these shirts do you like best? I’m dressing up as a witch for Halloween this
year.
COLOUR HOMOPHONES

56. Blue, blew

Blue (adjective): Colour between green and violet Blew (verb): Past tense form of ‘blow’.
(e.g. like the sky). The storm blew down several trees on our street!
Elvis was a fan of blue suede shoes!

57. Red, read

Red (adjective): Colour at the end of the spectrum Read (verb): Past tense form of ‘read’.
(e.g. like blood). How many Harry Potter books have you read?
Little Red Riding Hood is a popular children’s
fairytale.
58. Greys, graze

Greys (noun): Two or more shades of the colour Graze (verb): Eat grass in a field (of cows,
grey. sheep, etc.).
I really like how the artist has used the greys in Early each morning, the farmer took his cattle out
this painting. to graze.

FAMILY HOMOPHONES

59. Son, sun

Son (noun): A boy or man in relation to his Sun (noun): Star round which the Earth orbits,
parents. light/warmth from this star.
My son is only eight years old, but he thinks he is The sun rises in the morning and sets in the
18! evening.
61. Father, farther

Father (noun): Dad. Farther (adverb): Comparative form of ‘far’.


My father used to play rugby for England. How much farther do we have to walk?

NATURE HOMOPHONES

62. Root, route

Root (noun): Underground part of a plant or tree, Route (noun): Way, course or path.
source or origin. Our route took us through the Alps and then on
A weed may grow again if you don’t remove to Italy.
the root.
63. Wood, would

Wood (noun): Small forest, material from trees. Would (verb): Past tense form of ‘will’, expresses
There used to be badgers in the wood, but they conditional.
are gone now. Where would you like to spend the summer
holidays?
64. Sea, see

Sea (noun): Expanse of salt water that covers See (verb): Action of perceiving with the eyes.
most of our planet. If you climb to the top of that hill, you can see for
Julie’s hometown is by the sea. miles!
65. Tide, tied

Tide (noun): Alternate rising and falling of the sea. Tied (verb): Past tense form of ‘tie’.
When it’s low tide you have to walk a long way She tied the hook to the end of the fishing line.
before you can swim.
66. Shore, sure

Shore (noun): The land along the edge of the sea Sure (adjective): Confident that one is right.
or a body of water. I’m sure that I locked the door.
We walked along the shore and found some pretty
shells.
67. Weather, whether

Weather (noun): Relates to sunshine, rain, wind Whether (conjunction): Expressing a doubt or
etc. choice between alternatives.
The weather in April is usually showery. I don’t know whether to go to work or call in sick.

68. Mist, missed

Mist (noun): Light fog. Missed (verb): Past tense form of ‘miss’.
The morning mist covered the fields. We missed the train so had to get to London by
coach.
69. Dew, due

Dew (noun): Tiny drops of water that form on cool Due (adjective): Expected at a certain time.
surfaces at night. My sister’s baby is due in 3 weeks!
The grass was wet with dew.
70. Reed, read

Reed (noun): A tall plant which grows in water or Read (verb): Look at and comprehend the
marshy ground. meaning of words.
There were reeds growing along the side of the She loved books so much that she
canal. would read them all day long.
71. Air, heir

Air (noun): Mix of gases that we breathe. Heir (noun): A person entitled to the property or
The air was moist after the storm. rank of another after death.
He was the King’s only son, and so was heir to
the throne.
72. Night, knight

Night (noun): The period from sunset to sunrise. Knight (noun): An old term for a mounted soldier
The stars come out at night. in armour.
He was my knight in shining armour.

VERB HOMOPHONES

73. Sew, sow, so

Sew (verb): Join or repair with Sow (verb): Plant by So (adverb/conjunction): To the
needle and thread. scattering seeds on the same or greater extent, therefore,
There’s a hole in my sock, but I ground. in order that.
don’t know how to sew. Each year the local I’d never seen so many people in
farmers sow wheat in their the shop, so I decided to come
fields. back later.
74. Pause, paws, pours, pores

Pause (verb): Interrupt an action briefly. Paws (noun): Plural form of ‘paw’, animal foot
I think we should pause the meeting for a short with pads and claws.
break at 12.00. The cat got its paws trapped under the carpet.

Pours (verb): 3rd person form of ‘pour’, flow quickly Pores (noun): Plural form of ‘pore’, tiny holes in
in a steady stream. the skin.
If John pours the tea, then you can offer our guests When you do physical exercise, sweat comes
a biscuit. out through the pores in your skin.
75. Wrap, rap

Wrap (verb): Cover in paper or soft material. Rap (noun/verb): Hip-hop music, singing style
My mum likes to use colourful paper to wrap the involving quick rhymes.
Xmas presents. When I was in my teens I used to love rap, but
now I’m more into rock.
76. Wear, where, ware

Wear (verb/noun): Have clothing Where (adverb): In, to, or in Ware (noun): Manufactured items
on one’s body, damage over time which place or situation. of a certain type.
through use/friction. I have no idea where the John Lewis is a good department
nearest petrol station is. store if you want to buy
kitchenware.
77. Steal, steel

Steal (verb): Take (illegally) without permission. Steel (noun): Common type of metal use in
If you steal goods from a shop, this is called construction.
‘shoplifting’. The new art museum is made entirely from glass
and steel.
78. Write, right, rite

Write (verb): Mark letters, words or Right (adjective): Correct, Rite (noun): Ritual.
symbols on paper with a pen or just, opposite of left. In many cultures, older boys must
pencil. I answered all the test complete a rite of passage to
Please remember to write to Santa questions, but only got become ‘men’.
Claus before Xmas! half right.
79. Buy, by, bye

Buy (verb): Get something in By (preposition): Identifying Bye (exclamation): Informal way
exchange for payment. who performed an action, of saying ‘goodbye’.
I am going to buy some food from near to, using. “Bye mum! I’ll see you when I get
the Supermarket. My homework gets home from school.”
checked by my teacher.
80. Sell, cell

Sell (verb): Give or hand over something for Cell (noun): Small room for a prisoner.
money. The police kept the thief in a cell overnight.
I want to sell my car and buy a new one.

81. Hear, here

Hear (verb): Perceive sound with the ears. Here (adverb): In, at, or to this place or position.
I could hear people laughing in the next room. We’ve lived here for most of our lives.
82. Break, brake

Break (verb): Smash or separate into pieces. Brake (noun): A device used to slow down a
Be careful not to break a window with that football! moving vehicle.
When you want to slow the car down, remember
to use the brake.
83. Affect, effect

Affect (verb): Influence, cause to change. Effect (noun): A change which is a result of an
The Brexit vote will certainly affect the UK action or other cause.
economy. No one knows what the effects of this political
decision will be.
84. Die, dye

Die (verb): Stop living. Dye (verb/noun): To colour something, substance


When sailors die they are sometimes ‘buried’ at that adds colour.
sea. My sister would like to dye her hair pink, but I
think green would look better!
85. Waste, waist

Waste (verb/noun): Use or expend carelessly, Waist (noun): Part of the body or measurement
rubbish or unwanted material. around the hips.
Let’s go. I don’t want to waste any more time! I need a pair of jeans with a 36-inch waist.
86. Know, no

Know (verb): Be aware of. No (exclamation and determiner): A negative


Most men know how to boil an egg, but some response, not any.
don’t! No, I don’t want to mow the lawn today.

87. Accept, except

Accept (verb): Agree to receive or undertake Except (preposition): Not including, other than.
something. I invited everyone to my birthday
I said the dog had eaten my homework, but the party except Jamie.
teacher didn’t accept my excuse!
88. Wait, weight

Wait (verb): Stay where you are until a particular Weight (noun): The heaviness of a person or
time or event. thing.
I didn’t want to wait any longer, so I left the cafe. My wife often worries about her weight, but she’s
actually quite slim!
89. Weigh, way, whey

Weigh (verb): Use scales to Way (noun): Method of Whey (noun): Watery component
determine the weight of something. doing something, road or of milk after the formation of
Match officials have to weigh each route. curds.
boxer before a professional fight. We got lost and I had to Whey is produced as part of the
admit that I didn’t know cheese-making process.
the way home.
90. Flew, flu, flue

Flew (verb): Past tense form of Flu (noun): Influenza. Flue (noun): Duct or pipe for
‘fly’. Many people suffer smoke.
The beautiful eagle flew high from flu during autumn and When we got a wood-burning
above the trees. winter. stove, we had a flue and liner
installed in the chimney.
91. Threw, through

Threw (verb): Past tense form of ‘throw’. Through (preposition): Moving in one side and
He threw his dirty clothes into the laundry basket out of the other.
and put on a clean t-shirt. He walked through the door and went straight
upstairs.

ADJECTIVE & ADVERB HOMOPHONES

92. Male, mail

Male (adjective): A man. Mail (noun): Letters and parcels sent by post.
The survey was conducted with equal numbers The postman put the mail through the letterbox.
of male and female participants.
93. Vain, vein, vane

Vain (adjective): Inflated sense of Vein (noun): Type of blood Vane (noun): Weathervane, broad
self or appearance, producing no vessel. blade attached to rotating
result. The patient needed an wheel/axis.
I think a lot of fashion models injection, but the trainee The weathervane moved from
are vain. nurse couldn’t find a vein. side to side in the wind.
94. Weak, week

Weak (adjective): Opposite of strong. Week (noun): 7 days.


I like my tea weak, with milk and one sugar. I can meet tomorrow, but I’m around all
next week.
95. Whole, hole

Whole (adjective): Full, entire. Hole (noun): Gap or space in the ground or a
I can’t eat a whole pizza to myself. Would you like surface.
to share? There’s a hole in my pocket. That’s how I lost my
key!
96. Bored, board

Bored (adjective): Lacking interest or Board (noun/verb): Long and flat piece of wood,
engagement. get onto transport (plane, ship, etc.).
The girl looked bored and half-asleep in class. The window was broken and a board had been
nailed across it.
97. Coarse, course

Coarse (adjective): Rough, rude. Course (noun): Study programme.


The surface of the stone was coarse and A friend of mine is doing an online
scratched his fingers. English course.
98. Higher, hire

Higher (adjective): Comparative form of ‘high’. Hire (verb): Rent, borrow for money.
Our company sales figures are higher this year. There’s no need to take bicycles because we
can hire them at the park.
99. Plain, plane

Plain (adjective/noun): Simple, without flavour, Plane (noun): Aeroplane.


large flat area of land with few trees. Our plane landed at 2 o’clock sharp.
I usually have plain yoghurt and muesli for
breakfast.
100.Aloud, allowed

Aloud (adverb): Not silently. Allowed (verb): Past tense form of ‘allow’.
He read the letter aloud so that everyone could The museum staff allowed us to take several
hear. photographs.

101.Principal, principle

Principal (adjective): Main, number one. Principle (noun): Fundamental truth or


The government’s principal concern is proposition.
immigration. You can trust Rob. He’s a man of principle.
When words are spelled the same and sound the same but have different meanings, then they are called
homonyms. When they are just spelled the same but sound different and have different meanings, then they
are homographs.

1) Bat
When used as a noun, a bat could be a winged, nocturnal animal or a piece of sporting equipment used in
baseball. It can also be used as a verb when a player goes up to bat during a baseball game.

2) Compact
When used as an adjective, "compact" means small, but when used as a verb, it means to make something
smaller. It can also be used as a noun when talking about a small case for makeup.

3) Desert
As a noun, "desert" is a dry, barren area of land where little rain occurs. When used as a verb, the word means
to abandon a person or cause.

4) Fair
The word "fair" has a few meanings when used as different parts of speech. When used as an adjective, it can
describe someone as agreeable, but it can also describe someone who has light skin or hair. As a noun, a
"fair" is typically a local event that celebrates a certain person, place, or historical moment.

5) Lie
"Lie" could mean to lay down and to tell something untruthful when used as an adjective. If used as a noun, it
is a false statement.

6) Lead
The word "lead" could be the verb that means to guide someone or something, while the noun version of the
word pertains to the metal.

7) Minute
The word "minute" can be a measure of time or a measurement of how small something is.

8) Refuse
To decline or accept something is the verb form of "refuse," while garbage is the noun form.

9) Project
The word "project" has several meanings as a verb. It could mean to plan, to throw, or to cast an image on a
surface. As a noun, it is a task or piece of work.

10) Second
Like the word "minute," "second" is another measurement of time, while it can also denote the placement of
something after the first.

11) Fine
The word "fine" has several meanings, including two different adjectives. First, it can be used to describe
something as high quality and second, it can describe something especially thin. As a noun, "fine" means a
payment for a violation.
12) Entrance
When pronounced slightly differently, the word "entrance" has multiple meanings. As a noun, an entrance is a
point of access and entry. It could also be used to describe a dramatic arrival, like a bride at her wedding.
However, as a verb, to entrance means to bewitch and delight.

13) Clip
The verb form of "clip" can actually get quite confusing. The word can actually mean to cut something apart or
to attach together. The word even has a noun form, which is an object that helps attach two things.

14) Overlook
To overlook means to fail to notice something, but when the word is used as a noun, it is a place where you
can look down and see from a higher vantage point.

15) Consult
"Consult" is another one of those tricky words that have two different meanings and they are opposites of each
other. "To consult" can mean to seek advice or to give professional advice.

16) Row
As a noun, a "row" means a fight or disagreement. It could also refer to how something is organized into a line.
As a verb, "to row" means to propel a boat forward.

17) Discount
As a noun, "discount" is a reduction in price and can also be used as a synonym to "on sale." But when used
as a verb, the word means to underestimate someone or something and give them no value.

18) Wind
A subtle difference in pronunciation completely changes the word "wind." It can refer to a flow of air or it can
mean to turn.

19) Contract
When used as a noun, "contract" is a written or verbal agreement, but when used as a verb, it means to
acquire or to get.

20) Object
As a noun, an "object" is anything that you can see or touch. It could also be a synonym to a "goal." When
used as a verb, it means to express your disapproval — typically used in courtrooms.

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