Homograph Examples

Homographs are words with different pronunciation, meanings and origins but the same spelling. They are not to be confused with homonyms, homophones and heteronyms. In order to work out which pronunciation and which meaning is appropriate, you need to be aware of the context. Here are a few homographs and their meanings:

  • agape – with mouth open OR love
  • bass – type of fish OR low, deep voice
  • bat -  piece of sports equipment OR an animal
  • bow – type of knot OR to incline
  • down – a lower place OR soft fluff on a bird
  • entrance – the way in OR to delight
  • evening – smoothing out OR after sunset
  • fine – of good quality OR a levy
  • learned – past tense of learn OR knowledgeable
  • minute – tiny OR unit of time
  • moped – was gloomy OR motorcyle
  • number – more numb OR numerical value
  • row – line OR argument OR propel a boat
  • sewer – drain OR person who sews
  • wave – move the hand in greeting OR sea water coming into shore
  • wound – past tense of wind OR to injure

Linguist John Higgins has prepared a comprehensive list of homographs in various categories, including those where the meanings are related but the part of speech and pronunciation change.

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31 Responses to “Homograph Examples”

  1. random john on June 13, 2008 4:00 pm

    If homographs have different pronunciations, as you say, can you please explain the two ways that bat, down, fine, and wave are pronounced?

    I’ve also never heard of the word “sewer” as “one who sews” but I’ll take your word on that one.

  2. Peter on June 20, 2008 11:56 am

    If homographs have different pronunciations, as you say, can you please explain the two ways that bat, down, fine, and wave are pronounced?

    You’ve never heard a Scotsman say them, have you :)

  3. mrinal on October 13, 2008 1:32 pm

    i have an assignment 4 homophones plz tell me some examples yarrrrr!!!!!!!!

  4. mrinal on October 13, 2008 1:38 pm

    yarrr plz tell me im available in orkut also

  5. katilyn mask on December 2, 2008 3:11 am

    wind and wind

  6. katilyn mask on December 2, 2008 3:12 am

    I want a website all to my self and all you got to do is just type in something you need help with and it will give you a whole selection to pick from.

  7. aiman on December 2, 2008 11:02 am

    moreexample

  8. Hasha on January 5, 2009 2:20 am

    What is a homograph for to oppose and a thing or an item

  9. Zakiah on January 8, 2009 12:11 pm

    How do will i know how to pronuonce it ?

  10. marissa on January 19, 2009 2:54 am

    whats the homograph for school???
    is there such thing

  11. kristel love robert on January 20, 2009 12:05 pm

    thank you but it is not enough
    please give us many homographs like
    fly-an insect
    -to flew

  12. annjelly vasquez on January 29, 2009 6:46 am

    i do not knw wat are the others example of homophones and homograph. can u pls help me because that are my report.. thank you very much….

  13. morgan on February 3, 2009 11:18 pm

    ummmm….could we have more examples plz!!!!!….i gotta assignment due!!!!!

  14. blackdeath on February 20, 2009 3:23 am

    tear-tear (tear as in crying, tear as in rip the paper)
    project-project (i have a project due, i must project that onto the screen)
    address-address (i must address the isue, that’s my address)
    present-present (i must present that, i got my present for X-mas)
    desert-desert (this desert has no water, i must desert you)
    HAHA this is for everyone who has a project i have one too!!!

  15. angelou palo on March 3, 2009 8:24 am

    i have an assignment for homophones and homograph PLS tell me more example

  16. br on March 16, 2009 6:22 pm

    You reference Mr. Higgins, however his definitions for homograph and homophone are not accurate. Perhaps you should pick a better expert.

    Homographs, according to Webster’s, are words that are spelled alike but are different in meaning, derivation, or pronunciation, as the roots indicate, i.e. homo-same and graph-write

    Homophones are words that are pronounced alike, but are different in meaning, derivation, or spelling. Homo-same Phono-sound

  17. Penny on March 26, 2009 12:45 pm

    Would you please send me the author’s name of this article. I am in need of this information for a work cited page. Thank you.

  18. Penny on March 26, 2009 12:47 pm

    Would you please send via email the name of the author who wrote Homograph examples. I am in need of this information for a works cited page.

  19. machelle on March 29, 2009 4:27 pm

    i need some more homograghs now

  20. rajlaxmi on April 13, 2009 9:31 am

    plz some more homophones

  21. firten on April 22, 2009 10:01 am

    is it really long examples?
    is it like hamonyms?

  22. mariah on April 23, 2009 12:58 am

    i think homographs are really hard to think of for homework

  23. shasta on April 24, 2009 1:52 pm

    Que. was how is fine . . . a homograph because there is no other pronunciation for a “fine” given to a person by an officer or such, and the expression you look “fine.” Well, I believe the answer is in the following definition provided by a previous submission. ————”different in meaning, derivation, OR (key word) pronunciation.” Again, OR being the key word in that definition. Therefore pronunciation does not necessarily have to be different because the meaning is different. Fine-ticket OR Fine-appearance

    HOPE THIS HELPS!!

    Homographs, according to Webster’s, are words that are spelled alike but are different in meaning, derivation, or pronunciation, as the roots indicate, i.e. homo-same and graph-write

  24. hope on June 1, 2009 10:32 pm

    more exp. like absent affect spring tear won clear
    hope you get a few more words from this bitchey website

  25. timp on June 30, 2009 6:12 pm

    I’m looking for lists of English homophone/homographs which have the greatest number of alternative definitions.

    (examples: Page. (n.) book leaf, courtly assistant, (v.) call for, turn through [pages of a book].

    Wind. (n.) breeze, speech (full of wind) (adj.) type of musical inst. (v.) twist. repower, prepare . . .e

    Either I am defining my terms incorrectly or such lists do not exist, unless I wind my way, a page at a time through a dictionary.

    Are there any readers who can assist me?

  26. Sue Eriksson on September 5, 2009 6:17 pm

    I can’t think of any other way to pronounce “bat, down, fine, or wave”, as we speak standard American English, not Scottish. I think these words are homonyms-same spelling and pronunciation, but different meaning.

    Evening may be a homograph, but I never thought of the slight difference in pronunciation before!

  27. david on September 24, 2009 10:02 am

    homographs are same pronountiation but different spelling and meaning like son – sun The sun rise again son My son was first honor and prey – pray The tiger hunt wth her prey at night pray We can pray at night all of that was all in my brain sorry two only but you can search of homograph inmozilla right just little paitent -_-

  28. joanna li on October 1, 2009 5:44 am

    tnx so much

  29. Neil on October 6, 2009 3:12 pm

    I believe your definition of a homograph is wrong hence causing the confusion with the words ‘wave’ and ‘bat’ etc. A homograph is a word that is spelt the same but has a different meaning. The pronunciation can be the same or different; either way it is a homograph. A heteronym on the other hand is a type of homograph where the pronunciation is different (but the spelling is still the same).

    e.g. bass: type of fish OR deep voice – homograph and heteronym (spelt the same pronounced differently)
    down: lower place OR soft stuff on bird – homograph and homonym (spelt the same AND pronounced the same)

  30. y.p.sekhar on November 2, 2009 12:37 pm

    please add some more examples for homonyms ,homophones and homographs..because students faced so many difficulties to build up thier knowledge on grammer

  31. bob on November 6, 2009 1:43 am

    hmmmmm what about buffet …………
    :(

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