Multiple Meaning Words or hom*onyms: hom*onyms Words, Questions (2024)

Vocabulary

Multiple Meaning Words: This is going to be a really interesting chapter!hom*onyms, ormultiple–meaning words, arewords that have the same spelling and usually sound alike but have differentmeanings(e.g. Bark– dog bark, tree bark). Right from kindergarten, we learn to use context to determine whichmeaningof amultiple–meaning wordis correct in a sentence.

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Let’s check out a few examples of this interesting Englishlanguage wonder,Multiple Meaning Words or hom*onyms:

Ileftmy phone on theleftside of the room.
The baseballpitcherasked for apitcherof water.
The committeechairsat in the centerchair.
While they are at theplay, I’m going toplaywith the dog.
She willparkthe car so we can walk in thepark.
Thecraneflew above the constructioncrane.

UnderstandingMultiple Meaning Words or hom*onyms

In linguistics, hom*onyms, broadly defined, are words which sound alike or are spelled alike but have different meanings.

A more restrictive definition sees hom*onyms as words that are simultaneously hom*ographs (words that share the same spelling, regardless of their pronunciation) and hom*ophones (words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of their spelling)– that is to say, they have identical pronunciation and spelling, whilst maintaining different meanings.

Learn more about Synonyms and Antonyms here in detail.

The relationship between a set of hom*onyms is called hom*onymy. Examples of hom*onyms are the pair stalk (part of a plant) and stalk (follow/harass a person) and the pair left (past tense of leave) and left (opposite of right).

A distinction is sometimes made between true hom*onyms, which are unrelated in origins, such as skate (glide on ice) and skate (the fish), and polysemous hom*onyms, or polysemes, which have a shared origin, such as mouth (of a river) and mouth (of an animal).

In non-technical contexts, the term “hom*onym” may be used (somewhat confusingly) to refer to words that are either hom*ographs or hom*ophones.

The words row (propel with oars) and row (argument) and row (a linear arrangement of seating) are considered hom*ographs, while the words read (peruse) and reed (waterside plant) would be considered hom*ophones; under this looser definition, both groups of words represent groups of hom*onyms.

The adjective hom*onymous can additionally be used wherever two items share the same name, independent of how close they are or aren’t related in terms of their meaning or etymology.

A few more examples ofMultiple Meaning Words or hom*onyms: forearm, bat, beam, cast, command, duck, dust, employ, even, flat.

Other such Multiple Meaning Words

hom*ographs (literally meaning “same writing”) are usually defined as words that share the same spelling, regardless of how they are pronounced. If they are pronounced the same then they are also hom*ophones (and hom*onyms) – for example, bark (the sound of a dog) and bark (the skin of a tree). If they are pronounced differently then they are also heteronyms – for example, bow (the front of a ship) and bow (a ranged weapon).
hom*ophones (literally “same sound”) are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of how they are spelled. If they are spelled the same then they are also hom*ographs (and hom*onyms); if they are spelled differently then they are also heterographs (literally “different writing”). hom*ographic examples include rose (flower) and rose (past tense of rising). Heterographic examples include to, too, two, and there, their, they’re. Due to their similar yet non-identical pronunciation in American English, ladder and latter do not qualify as hom*ophones, but rather synophones.

A further example of a hom*onym, which is both a hom*ophone and a hom*ograph, isfluke.Flukecan mean:

A fish, and aflatworm.
The end parts of ananchor.
The fins on awhale’s tail.
A stroke ofluck.

These meanings represent at least threeetymologicallyseparatelexemes but share the one form,fluke. How about you go ahead and find such cool words today. It will be fun framing them in different sentences. Have fun with grammar.

Practice Questions for You

1] Pick the correct hom*onyms for the given sentences.

Q: The king was in desperate need of a ______ to secure the future of his kingdom. (air or heir)

Ans: Heir. The king was looking for a successor.

Q: She ____ the ball so far that it landed in the neighbour’s garden. (threw, through)

Ans: Threw. The ballwas thrown by her (verb)

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