What is Homonyms?
The term "Homonym" comes from the Greek word "homonymos," which means "having the same name." Homonyms are words that have the same spelling or sound but entirely different meanings and functions. As a result, homophones and homographs might be considered homonyms.
Homonyms and Homophones
The homonyms, homophones, and homographs is an important part of SSC syllabus for English. These three terms are connected but do not indicate the same thing, for detailed difference refer to the description below:
Homonyms: Homonym is an umbrella term for words that have the same spelling or sound but different meanings. A homonym is a word that is either a homophone, a homograph, or both.
Homophones: These are words that have the same sound but different meanings. The most common homophones taught in school, for example, are there/their/they're and to/too/two. These words have the same pronunciation but different meanings and applications. Other homophones include rows/rose, one/won, and build/billed.
Homographs: are words that have the same spelling but different meanings. For example, the words lead (meaning "to be in charge of") and lead (meaning "a toxic metal") are similar but have different pronunciations and meanings. Some words, such as bear, have the same spelling and pronunciation. The verb bear implies "to carry," whereas the noun bear signifies "a furry, lumbering mammal."
Homonyms List
Homonyms are words that have the same pronunciation or spelling but differ in their meanings. These linguistic phenomena can often lead to confusion and misunderstanding. Here is a list of Homonyms that we use in our daily lives.
| List of Homophones | |
| Homophone Words & Sentences | Homophone Words & Sentences |
| Blue: Rita's favorite color is blue. | Blew: Samuel picked a tissue and blew his nose. |
| Idol: Adam Levine is the idol of all the young singers in the industry. | Idle: Ariana was sitting idle but did not complete the homework piled up. |
| Flies: Time flies like an arrow. Here, the word 'flies' is a verb and implies the act of passing away | Flies: Fruit flies like bananas. Here, the word flies is a noun, as in a fly, an insect. |
| Flair: She had a flair for singing. | Flare: A flare of spark went through her hand when she met with an accident. |
| Holy: Kashi is a well-known holy place as well as a tourist attraction spot. | Wholly: The claims from the insurance are whole without the interest. |
| Die: Doctors said that Tim would die as she is suffering from a Brain Tumor | Dye: Ameilia dyed her hair purple. |
| Fined: Aaron was fined ten thousand rupees for being drunk and driving | Find: Vincent could not find Sam at the concert. |
| Gait: The group saw the gait (the walking style) of a Lion in the zoo | Gate: The guard opened the gate and let the students outside the school. |
| Censor: The film got approval from the censor board | Sensor: There are sensor water taps and sanitizer disposal in the office building, and there is no need to touch them. |
| Baron: Lionel's mother is a press baron. | Barren: The Liverpool hall was once a barren building. |
| Plane: I flew on a plane to my destination. | Plain: She prefers plain dresses without any embellishments. |
| Hear: I can hear the music playing in the background. | Here: Come here and sit beside me. |
| Flower: The rose flower is in full bloom. | Flour: Mix flour, sugar, and eggs to make a cake. |
| Pair: I bought a new pair of shoes. | Pear: She enjoyed eating a juicy pear. |
| Piece: She cut a piece of cake for herself. | Peace: Let's strive for peace in the world. |
| Sea: The boat sailed across the sea. | See: Can you see that bird in the sky? |
| Morning: I enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning. | Mourning: The family was in mourning after their loss. |
| Hair: She has long, beautiful hair. | Hare: I saw a hare in the garden. |
| Road: I walked along the road to reach my destination. | Rode: She rode her bicycle to the park. |
| Right: You gave the right answer to the question. | Write: Please write your name on the form. |
| Brake: Apply the brake to bring the car to a halt. | Break: Be careful not to break the glass. |
| Allowed: Smoking is not allowed in this area. | Aloud: She read the poem aloud to the audience. |
| Principle: Honesty is an important principle. | Principal: The principal greeted the students in the morning. |
| Won: He won the game with his impressive skills. | One: There is only one piece of cake left. |
| Forth: He stepped forth to accept the award. | Fourth: He finished fourth in the race. |
| Whole: I ate the whole pizza by myself. | Hole: Be careful not to fall into the hole in the ground. |
Homonyms Examples with Sentences
Understanding homonyms is crucial for effective communication and language comprehension. Here are some examples of homonyms along with sentences to illustrate their different meanings and usage. By familiarizing yourselves with these homonyms, you can improve your English speaking skills and overall score in competitive exams.
| Homonyms List | ||
| Homonym | Meaning | Sentence Example |
| Right | Correct or true | You are right. |
| The right side | Meena sat on the right. | |
| Correctly or exactly | Everything that you told us was right. | |
| Match | A game | Do you know which team won the match? |
| A small stick used to start a fire | I used a match to light up the stove. | |
| To find something that is suitable | My mom was looking for a lining material that matches the pastel-colored saree she bought recently. | |
| Ring | A jewel that you wear on your finger | My father bought me a diamond ring |
| A round object | I used a ring to make a dreamcatcher. | |
| To call someone | Manu will ring you in some time. | |
| To cause something to sound like a bell | Did you hear the bell ring? | |
| Kind | A group of people with similar characteristics | We are one of a kind. |
| Being good, generous, helpful | Beena is very kind. | |
| Lie | Something untrue | I think she is telling a lie. |
| To quote something untrue | My mom does not lie. | |
| To rest | He is lying on the bed. | |
Homonyms for SSC CHSL
To enhance your understanding and prevent any confusion, it is essential to familiarize yourself with frequently asked homonyms in the SSC CHSL Previous Year Paper and their various meanings. Take a closer look at these Homonyms examples to examine their differences and grasp their correct usage. This will not only sharpen your language skills but also help you approach questions related to homonyms with confidence and accuracy.
Homonym | Meanings |
Air | Oxygen/A little voice or tune |
Band | Musical group/A ring |
Well | Good health/ A source for water in a ground |
Tender | Gentle/Purvey of money |
Spring | Season /Coiled metal |
Right | Correct/Direction of opposition from left |
Mean | Average / Not nice |
List of Important Homonyms for SSC
Homonyms is an important topic of the SSC exams and nearly 3-4 questions are asked in the Tier 1 examination and approx. 4-5 questions are asked in the Tier 2 examination. Below we are providing a list of important Homonyms for the upcoming exams like SSC CGL, SSC CPO, etc.
| Homonym List | |
| Access – The elevator gave access to the top floor | Excess – Do not take an excess of stress in life |
| Ate – The ape ate all the apples | Eight – We will meet after the office at eight |
| Bald – He is planning to go bald (hairless) | Bawled – She began to bawl (cry) like a child |
| Band – He played the guitar in the live band yesterday | Banned – Taking pets to malls should be banned |
| Beat – Will he be able to beat the champion of all times? | Beet – He loves to eat beet because it is healthy |
| Bolder – She is bolder and stronger to cope with the situation | Boulder - He was sitting on a boulder when he fell into the sea |
| Brake – Use the brake to stop the truck or it will kill the dog | Break – The children play and enjoy the break |
| Carat – He bought her a half-a-carat diamond ring | Carrot – Drinking carrot juice regularly is good for the health |
| Censor – The film got approval from the censor | Sensor – There are sensor water taps in the office building and there is no need to touch them |
| Dam – The torrential rain might burst the dam | Damn – She treated her badly and she will be damned to hell for it |
| Die – Doctors said she will die as she is suffering from cancer | Dye – She dyed her hair pink |
| Eave – The wild bees usually nest under the eaves of the building | Eve – On the eve of her birthday we have planned a surprise |
| Flair – She had a flair for writing | Flare – A flare of something went through her face when she met an accident |
| Franc – He might be from France as I can see the currency Franc in his wallet | Frank – She is frank and open-hearted |
| Gait – We saw the gait (walking style) of a Cheetah in the zoo | Gate – The guard opened the gate and let the students in the school |
| Holy – Kashi is a holy place and a tourist attraction as well | Wholly – The claims from the insurance are wholly without the interest |
| Idle – She was sitting idle but did not complete the assignments given | Idol – He is the idol of all the young singers in the industry |
Homonyms Questions
Competitive exams often include questions on homonyms to test the candidates' vocabulary and language skills. These questions require candidates to identify and differentiate between words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings. By testing their understanding of homonyms, these exams assess the candidates' ability to comprehend context and choose the most appropriate word. Following are the types of questions asked on Homonyms.
1. She wore a ___ dress to the party.
a) blew
b) blue
c) flew
d) flu
Correct answer: b) blue
2. Please ___ the door behind you.
a) close
b) clothes
c) clause
d) closed
Correct answer: a) close
3. In the sentence, "He was __ to see the results of his hard work," what word correctly fills the blank?
a) exciting
b) excite
c) excited
d) excitement
Correct answer: c) excited
4. She bought a new ___ of shoes.
a) pare
b) pair
c) pear
d) pail
Correct answer: b) pair
5. I can't ___ to eat another bite.
a) bare
b) bear
c) beer
d) berry
Correct answer: b) bear
6. The sun is ___ in the sky.
a) hair
b) hare
c) hear
d) here
Correct answer: d) here
7. The ___ is a large, carnivorous feline.
a) lion
b) lying
c) lien
d) lye
Correct answer: a) lion
8. He plays the ___ beautifully.
a) flu
b) flew
c) flute
d) flue
Correct answer: c) flute
9. I have to ___ my car to the mechanic.
a) brake
b) break
c) brake
d) brook
Correct answer: b) break
10. She ___ the cake for her sister's birthday.
a) maid
b) made
c) maid
d) mate
Correct answer: b) made
In conclusion, developing a solid understanding of homonyms for SSC CHSL is crucial for enhancing language skills and performing well in the exam. By familiarizing yourself with a wide range of homonyms and practicing their usage in context, you can confidently tackle questions related to homonyms and improve your overall language proficiency. You can also sign up for SSC online coaching classes to get a better understanding of it.
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