What are homographs?

What are homographs?

• A. Words that are spelled alike but have different meanings.
• B. Words that sound alike but have different meanings.
• C. Words that have opposite meanings.
• D. Words that are synonyms.

Answer: (A)

Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. This distinction matters in reading because you use context to decide which meaning fits in a sentence. For example, lead can mean to guide someone or it can refer to a heavy metal; both are spelled the same but have different meanings (and often different pronunciations). Another example is bass, which can mean a type of fish or a low-pitched sound, again with the same spelling but different meanings. The idea is that the form is identical, but the sense changes with context. That’s why this describes homographs: words that look the same on the page but don’t share a meaning. In contrast, words that sound alike but have different meanings are homophones, not homographs; opposites are antonyms, and words with the same meaning are synonyms.

Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. This distinction matters in reading because you use context to decide which meaning fits in a sentence. For example, lead can mean to guide someone or it can refer to a heavy metal; both are spelled the same but have different meanings (and often different pronunciations). Another example is bass, which can mean a type of fish or a low-pitched sound, again with the same spelling but different meanings. The idea is that the form is identical, but the sense changes with context. That’s why this describes homographs: words that look the same on the page but don’t share a meaning. In contrast, words that sound alike but have different meanings are homophones, not homographs; opposites are antonyms, and words with the same meaning are synonyms.