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Homonyms Worksheets

All About These 15 Worksheets

Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and pronunciation but have different meanings. These Homonyms worksheets include a variety of exercises to help students learn how to differentiate between different types of homonyms.

The engaging exercises and activities in this collection of free worksheets may include matching homonyms with their definitions or correct contexts, filling in the blanks with the correct homonym, or rewriting sentences to correct errors in usage. By completing these worksheets, students will:

  • Be familiar with several commonly used homonyms;
  • Complete sentences by supplying them with the correct homonym;
  • Write their own sentences by using various homonyms correctly according to context;
  • Spot errors in sentences where the incorrect homonym is used and correct them;
  • And answer writing prompts to demonstrate their knowledge in the definition, form, and function of homonyms in English grammar.

What are Homonyms?

Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and pronunciation but have different meanings. They can be confusing for English learners and even native speakers, especially when used incorrectly in a sentence. Here are some examples of commonly used homonyms:

  • “Bat” (an animal) and “bat” (a piece of sports equipment)
  • “Bear” (an animal) and “bear” (to carry or tolerate)
  • “Fair” (just and impartial) and “fair” (an event or carnival)
  • “Bank” (a financial institution) and “bank” (the edge of a river)

To spot a sentence that uses homonyms incorrectly, you can look for errors in context or meaning that result in the sentence not making sense or conveying the intended meaning. Here are some examples:

  • Incorrect: I saw a bat at the fair last night.
  • Correct: I saw a bat at the baseball game last night.

In this example, “fair” is used incorrectly and should be replaced with “baseball game” to convey the intended meaning.

  • Incorrect: I need to bear money from the bank.
  • Correct: I need to withdraw money from the bank.

In this example, “bear” is used incorrectly and should be replaced with “withdraw” to convey the intended meaning.

Overall, spotting incorrectly used homonyms in a sentence involves understanding the context and intended meaning of the sentence, as well as recognizing the proper usage of each homonym. Knowing the differences between commonly used homonyms is an essential part of English language proficiency.

Homonyms vs. Homophones

Homonyms and homophones are both types of words that can be confusing for English learners, but they have different definitions.

  • Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and pronunciation, but different meanings. For example, “bat” can refer to an animal or a piece of sports equipment, and “bank” can refer to a financial institution or the edge of a river.
  • Homophones, on the other hand, are words that sound the same, but have different spellings and meanings. For example, “to,” “too,” and “two” all sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings.

In summary, homonyms are words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings, while homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings.