English twin words with different meanings: how to distinguish them and not get confused

Homonyms—the same word with different meanings—are something that can make English difficult. How to distinguish them from each other, reports Grammar.

Photo: IStock

What is the same word with different meanings?

Homonyms are defined as a word or group of words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings. When two words with different meanings are spelled the same, they are homonyms. Technically, words that are spelled and/or pronounced the same are considered two different words, rather than one word with different meanings.

Think about the word train (train). Possible values:

• A noun describing a locomotive that carries passengers and/or freight.
• A verb that describes the process of learning a skill through study and practice.

Both uses of the word train are homonyms. In other words, noun train is a homonym of the verb train.

On the subject: 15 tricky English phrases that many people misunderstand

Homonyms are not limited to having only two meanings. Some words have long lists of homonyms. One example is the word running (spring), which can be:

• A noun denoting the season that follows winter and precedes summer.
  I plant flowers every spring (I plant flowers every spring).
• A verb describing the action of suddenly rushing forward.
  They watched the frog spring out of the box (They watched the frog jump out of the box).
• A verb meaning to pay for something unusual, often as a gift.
  I didn't expect him to spring for a new laptop (I didn't expect him to rush for a new laptop).
• A noun describing a metal coil used to create tension or absorb shock.
  She has to replace a spring on her bicycle (She needs to replace the spring on her bicycle).
• A noun that describes the point of origin.
  Our school is a spring of creativity.
• A verb describing origin.
  Ingenuity springs from challenging circumstances.
• A noun describing an underground source of water.
  The region is known for its numerous hot springs.

What are homophones and homographs

Homophones and homographs are two subtypes of homonyms. Although all three words—homonyms, homophones, and homographs—refer to words with a common sound or a common spelling, or both, there are a few key differences between them.

Homophones are pairs and groups of words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings. Sometimes they are written differently, and sometimes the same. The distinguishing feature of homophones is that they are pronounced the same. Here are some examples of homophones:

Aloud and allowed (aloud and allowed).
Sweet and suite

• Week and weak (week and weakness).
• Read and reed (read and reed).
• Sweet and suite (sweet and suite).
• There, their and they're (there, them and they).
• To, two and too (that, two and too).
• Palate and palette (palate and palette).

Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. Sometimes they are pronounced differently, and sometimes they are pronounced the same. Take a look at these examples of homographs:

• Desert is a noun with stress on the first syllable and is an arid landscape characterized by a lack of vegetation.
• Desert is a verb with stress on the second syllable that means “to disloyally abandon something or someone.”
• Close is an adjective that rhymes with dose and describes a nearby object or event.
• Close is a verb that rhymes with nose and means “to close something” (often a door or lid).

How to distinguish homonyms

Because homonyms are spelled or pronounced the same, or both, it can be easy to get confused when reading them in a text or hearing them said out loud. How can we determine which word the speaker or writer meant?

The answer is context clues.

In most cases, the definitions of homonyms are very different from each other. By understanding the meaning of a sentence, the correct word often becomes obvious. Take a look at this example:

He sent her girlfriend a rose (He sent his girlfriend a rose).

Although the word "rose" can mean either a type of flower or the past tense of the verb "to rise" (rise - rose - risen), the context of this sentence makes it clear that the word in question is a flower.

When you use context clues to figure out the meaning of a word, it is helpful to determine what part of speech an unknown word belongs to. In our example sentence, we can safely assume that the word "rose" is a noun, because there is no point in giving someone a verb, adjective, or adverb.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants, and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read all this on ForumDaily New Y

However, finding the part of speech is not always the key to deciphering homonyms. Sometimes homonyms are the same part of speech. For example, trunk (trunk) refers to an elephant and also to the rear trunk of a car (both words are nouns). Take a look at this proposal:

There's probably water in the trunk.

Is the elephant taking water into its trunk to drink, or is there water in the trunk of the car? We cannot say this from this sentence alone. In this case, you will need to look for context clues in the sentences that come before and after the sentence containing the unknown word.

Examples of homonyms

• Bark (bark): the hard protective covering of a tree (noun).
  Bark: The sound a dog makes (noun).
• Bow: A decorative accessory made of ribbon or rope (noun).
  Bow: The part of a stringed instrument, such as a cello or violin, that is pulled across the strings to create sound (noun).
• Duck: A species of bird characterized by a wide beak, webbed feet, and the ability to swim (noun).
  Duck: To duck quickly, often to avoid being hit (verb).
• Key: A small metal device used to open doors and locks (noun).
  Key: critically important (adjective).
• Lead: A toxic, malleable material that was once found in paints and many other products (noun).
  Lead (homograph - to lead): to guide another along a path or process (verb).
• Left: The opposite direction from right (adjective).
  Left (left): past tense of “to leave” (verb).
• Light: source of glow or brightness (noun).
  Light: to illuminate the darkness (verb).
• Right: The opposite direction of left (adjective).
• Right: morally justified, acceptable (adjective).
• Right: moral or legal right (noun)
• Rock: To gently rock an object or person back and forth (verb).
  Rock: The hard mineral that makes up most of the Earth's surface (noun).
• Shoe: an item of clothing worn on the feet (noun).
  Shoo (homophone - to throw): to swipe or throw away (verb).

Read also on ForumDaily:

An atmospheric storm hits California: roads are flooded, a million people are left without electricity

“The country simply didn’t show up for the protest”: Why a successful entrepreneur from Saint Petersburg decided on an unplanned move to the USA

Subscriptions of which stores are worth spending money on, and which ones are better to avoid

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.