| Common Homographs
Homographs are words that are spelled the same, and in most instances, sound the same,but which have different meanings. Below is a list of common homographs. For a complete list of homographs, you should consult a reference book such as Homophones and Homographs : An American Dictionary. To learn the meaning, or to hear how any of the words in this list are pronounced, use this link.
| arms (weapons) | arms (part of body) | | ball (sphere) | ball (dance) | | band (music makers) | band (strap) | | bass (low musical sound) | bass (fish) * | | bear (animal) | bear (carry) | | bluff (steep embankment) | bluff (fool) | | boil (bubble) | boil (skin sore) | | bow (bend) | bow (part of ship) | | bow (weapon) * | | box (container) | box (hit) | | box (shrub) | | brush (tool) | brush (undergrowth) | | can (container) | can (able) | | case (container) | case (condition) | | colon (part of body) | colon (punctuation mark) | | count (royalty) | count (number) | | date (fruit); date (on calendar) | date (companion) | | down (feathers) | down (direction) | | down (grassland) | | duck (bird) | duck (avoid) | | duck (cloth) | | fan (admirer) | fan (cooling device) | | fast (quick) | fast (starve) | | fine (good quality) | fine (payment for wrongdoing) | | firm (hard) | firm (company) | | fly (insect) | fly (move through air) | | fly (flap of cloth covering pant zipper) | | fresh (new) | fresh (bold) | | gum (chewing treat) | gum (mouth part) | | hold (grasp) | hold (part of ship) | | jam (preserved fruit) | jam (squeeze) | | jam (impromptu music) | | lap (part of body) | lap (course) | | lap (drink) | | lean (slant) | lean (thin) | | left (direction) | left (went) | | lie (untruth) | lie (recline) | | loaf (lounge) | loaf (bread) | | lumber (wood) | lumber (walk slowly) | | mole (skin spot) | mole (animal) | | page (call) | page (of paper) | | page (youth) | | pen (for writing) | pen (enclosure) | | pitcher (container) | pitcher (in baseball) | | pop (sound) | pop (popular) | | pop (father) | pop (soda) | | pound (weight) | pound (kennel) | | pound (hit) | | prune (fruit) | prune (cut) | | pupil (part of eye) | pupil (student) | | racket (for tennis) | racket (scheme) | | racket (noise) | | ring (circle) | ring (sound of bell) | | row (in a line) | row (with oars) | | row (fight)* | | sock (hit) | sock (stocking) | | tap (hit lightly) | tap (faucet) | | swallow (bird) | swallow (gulp) | | well (good) | well (for water) | | nail (body part) | nail (hit with a hammer) | | *Note that these homographs are pronounced differently. |
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