The same word that means different things

Every language has words that look and sound the same but mean different things. Russian is no exception: many Russian words have two or even more different meanings.

Click to enlarge the image. Drawing by Niyaz Karim

The most frequently cited examples of homonyms in the
Russian language are the words kosa (коса) and klyuch (ключ)

The word kosa means a braid and also, in another
meaning, a scythe. Hence the comic play on words in the expression devushka
s kosoi (девушка с косой), which can mean both a young woman with braided
hair and the Grim Reaper. In addition, kosa also means a spit of land
sticking out into the sea.

Klyuch means a key that you
use to open and close the door but also a key to a cipher (klyuch ot shifra,
ключ от шифра), a clue, and a clef (e.g. a skripichny klyuch (скрипичный
ключ) is a treble clef). It also forms part of the Russian word for a spanner, gayechny klyuch (гаечный
ключ).

The adjective klyuchevoi (ключевой) is used in the same sense as
the English ‘key’ in key element, key player, key moment, etc. In a separate
meaning, a klyuch is also a spring, a source of clean, fresh, cool
water.

The word mat (мат) has three completely different
meanings. First, it is the chess term checkmate. Second, a mat, especially a
gym mat (gimnastichesky mat, гимнастический мат). Third, and most commonly
these days, it is foul language, swear words.

Under a new Russian law that came into effect on July 1, the
use of foul language is banned on television, in films, books, in the media, as
well as in the theater and other public performances. The boundaries of what
constitutes foul language are quite blurred (some words are considered more
acceptable than others).

The debate of what should fall under «the
banned» foul language has been going on for a long time. At present,
experts have concluded that the ban should cover four basic roots (rude names
for male and female genitals, sexual intercourse and a prostitute) and all of
their derivatives.

The word klass (класс) in Russian has approximately
the same wealth of meanings as «class» in English. In a school or
university, it means a classroom and a group of students who study together, as
well as the entire cohort of students in a particular grade.

In another sense,
it means a level of quality, as in first-class, second-class, third-class. In
yet another meaning, a class is a division of people in society according to
their social status, e.g. working class, middle class.

The word post (пост) has until recently been used in
two senses: the place where a soldier, guard or other person has been told to
remain (as in guard post, storozhevoi post (сторожевой пост), which
later evolved into meaning a position in a company or organization, usually one
that involves responsibility.

The other meaning of the word is religious: a
fast (the derivative verb is postitsya (поститься). In recent years, the
word post has developed a new meaning that is to do with the advent of
blogs and social network sites. It has even created a new verb, zapostit
(запостить), meaning to post something on the internet.

Another word that has acquired an additional meaning as a
result of borrowing from English is luk (лук). Traditionally, luk
had two distinct meanings in Russian: an onion and a bow (as in a bow and arrows).
Recently, in youth slang it has begun to be used in the sense of a person’s
looks.

The word val (вал) has even more meanings. It can
mean an earthen wall, hence the names of some old streets in Moscow, e.g. Zemlyanoi
Val (Земляной вал) or Koroviy Val (Коровий вал). At sea, a val is a big
wave (e.g. a famous painting by great Russian seascape artist Ivan Aivazovsky
is called Devyatiy Val (“Девятый вал»).

It also means a shaft, as
in a drive shaft. Finally, in economics, it means the gross output of a
company, an industry or a country as whole. 

Read more: The 10 most well-known Russian words>>>

All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

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In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet asserts, “that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” She means that as their families are rivals, if either of them –she or Romeo– altered their names, they would nevertheless be lovers in love. A name change wouldn’t alter who they were. But swapping one word for another at times does alter the meaning, particularly in English. This often occurs when two (or more) words that sound the same are spelled differently. These words are called homophones. Contrary to Juliet’s assertion, your writing will be flawed if you use the incorrect word or name.

Can you Recognize the Homophones?

Read the sentences below and select the suitable homophone. Then, verify your answers and get the definitions of the homophones.

1.	The guitar strings are too ____________.	LOSE	LOOSE
2.	My bike is over ____________.	THEY’RE	THERE	THEIR
3.	__________ shirt is missing.	YOUR	YOU’RE
4.	__________ shine was gone.	ITS	IT’S
5.	That’s _________ of butter!	A LOT	ALOT
6.	This room is more spacious ________ the one we just vacated.	THAN	THEN
7.	You can join ________.	TO	TOO	TWO
8.	I’m not going to steal because I have ___________.	PRINCIPLES	PRINCIPALS
9.	We saw 10 sharks. It was quite a _________.	SIGHT	SITE
10.	Speak now or forever hold your _________.	PIECE	PEACE

Answers and Definitions

• LOOSE = not tight enough. LOSE = misplace something.
  • Don’t lose your car keys.
  • My pants are too loose.
• THERE = indicating a place at a distance. THEY’RE is a contraction of “they are.” THEIR is 3^rd person plural possessive (they own something).
  • Their hats are golden.
  • They’re going to Poland.
• YOUR = 2^nd person possessive (you own something). YOU’RE is a contraction of “you are.”
  • You’re looking spectacular.
  • Your mother has arrived.
• ITS = 3^rd person possessive (it owns something). IT’S is a contraction of “it is.”
  • It’s getting cold.
  • Dog is licking its tail.
• A LOT = a large amount of something. ALOT – not a homophone or even a word!
  • There’s a lot of candy for everyone.
• THEN = indicates the order of events. THAN compares things.
  • I’d rather go for a run than watch this film.
  • Yesterday I polished my shoes, and then I went out to play football.
• TOO = also. TWO is a number. TO either indicates direction or is part of the infinitive version of a verb.
  • The two of you must go hiking.
  • You must go to the opera.
  • I love chocolates too
• PRINCIPLES = morals/beliefs that direct one’s activities. PRINCIPALS are the chiefs of schools in the US/India
  • I’m scheduled to meet the principalat 9 am.
  • I don’t know how people live without principles.
• SIGHT = something worth seeing/viewing. SITE = place or short for “website.”
  • We are looking for the site of our new house.
  • There are plenty of beautiful sights in Africa.
  • The site no longer exists. (site = website)
• PEACE vs. PIECE is a tricky one. “To hold your PEACE” means “to keep things peaceful by not speaking.” Intriguingly, “to speak your PIECE” means “to say what you really want to.” Likewise, “give him a piece of your mind” means “to tell someone what you really believe.”

How did you do? Eight or more means you’re a homophone wizard. 5-7 is average. Anything under 5 means you might want to study this list—it will make your writing much better! If you’d like to learn more homophones, there are tons of online resources ― Simply Google, “English homophones.” Good luck!

Besides, if you are looking for an AI-driven writing tool to enhance your writing, then check out Trinka, the world’s first language enhancement tool that is custom-built for academic and technical writing. It has several exclusive features to make your manuscript ready for the global audience. www.trinka.ai

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Presentation on theme: «Homophones Words that sound the same, but mean different things and have a different meaning It is important that you learn the difference between each.»— Presentation transcript:

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Homophones Words that sound the same, but mean different things and have a different meaning It is important that you learn the difference between each word so you can use it properly in sentences

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Here/Hear Here: adverb – to show where something is placed
Please put the cake over here. Hear: verb – to perceive something with the ear I cannot hear the teacher when you are talking at the same time.

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Buy/By/Bye Buy: verb – to purchase something
By: preposition – used to: -identify the person or thing that does something The motorcycle was driven by a tiny bald man. -show how something is done They travelled across Europe by train/car. -the position of something: A small child stood sullenly by her side. Bye: saying “goodbye”

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Its/It’s Its: possessive form of “it”. It works in the same was as “his” and “her” My dog is chasing its tail. The oak tree lost all of its leaves. It’s: contraction for “it is” or “it has” It’s snowing outside. It’s Wednesday today!

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There(‘s)/Their(s)/They’re
There: adverb – indicates a place There’s: contraction of “there is” I will go make the snowman over there. There’s a snowman knocking on my window! Their(s): possessive pronoun – belonging to them The kids put their snow suits on to go build a snowman. The kids made the snowman, so its theirs. They’re: contraction for “they are” They’re having a lot of fun building the snowman.

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To/Too/Two To: preposition used for: Too: adverb – also, in addition
-expressing motion or direction towards something I take the bus to school everyday. -identifying a person or a thing affected The clown was terrifying to her. Too: adverb – also, in addition I have too much homework! Two: noun – the number, sum of 1+1 The baby has two teeth

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Who’s/Whose Who’s: contraction for “who is” and “who has:
Who’s that new kid? Who’s done the readings? Whose: pronoun used to identify something that belongs to someone Whose umbrella is that? Can you name an animal whose fur changes color?

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Whole/Hole Whole: adjective – being complete, in one piece
Snakes eat their prey whole. After gym class, Tim’s whole body ached. Hole: noun – a small opening in something, a circular gap There is a hole in my bowl so my soup is leaking out. Alice fell down the rabbit hole.

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One/Won One: noun used as Won: verb – past tense of “win”
-the number: I have one Christmas tree at home. -a pronoun that refers to something that was previously mentioned: You’re the one who made the class laugh with a funny joke. Won: verb – past tense of “win” The Habs won the Stanley Cup in 1993

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Your(s)/You’re Your(s): possessive pronoun – something belongs to you, you own something I like your shoes, they’re cool! I can’t tell if this is your shirt or mine. You’re: contraction for “you are” You’re lucky to have your own car I like you because you’re kind and funny.

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Ate/Eight Ate: verb – past tense of “eat” Eight: number
I ate the whole cake for breakfast My bunny ate two carrots for lunch Eight: number The bus has more than eight passengers The student owns eight pencils.

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Through/Threw Through: preposition – moving in one side and out of the other As a super power, I would love to walk through walls. The ball went through the basket. Threw: verb – past tense for “throw” He threw a snowball at me and we started a snowball fight. The father threw the football at his son.

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Break/Brake Break: -verb: to smash something, separate something in many pieces If you drop your glass of water, it will break, so be careful. -noun: a pause I believe I deserve a break after working so long. Brake: -noun: a device used for slowing a vehicle down or stopping it I broke the left brake of my bike when I fell. -verb: to slow down or stop It is important to brake early when driving on snow.

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GAME TIME!!!

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Name: What are Homophones? Name:__________________________________ Homophones are easy to remember if you think of your Greek roots. Homo means “same.” Phone means “sound.” So homophones are literally two words whose names have the same sound. One example of this are the words hare and hair. If you hear them out loud without seeing them written down, you don’t know if you are talking about a hare (rabbit), or a hair (growing on your head). Context helps you know which one is meant, as well. Choose the correct homophone to complete each sentence. Our whole family packed our beach clothes and took a trip to the sea (see/sea). Jimmy’s mom let him grate (great/grate) the cheese for the pizza. I often wished for a maid (maid/made) to clean my house for me. Melissa has been a dear (dear/deer) friend of mine for many years. The scent (sent/cent/scent) of pancakes filled the air as we made breakfast. Grandma put some flour (flower/flour) into the bowl to make some dough. Many of the children were wearing new (knew/new) shoes for school. After many hours on the computer, I had to take a break (break/brake). The princess and the prince (prints/prince) are children of the king. They had to stay in bed for two days when they got the flu (flu/flew). When the janitor mops the floor, he uses a pail (pail/pale) to rinse the mop. It’s difficult to row the boat without an oar (oar/or/ore). The butcher chopped up the meat (meet/meat) for his client. Sylvia ate (ate/eight) the last of the cereal for breakfast. If you are going to the mall, I would like to go, too (to/too/two). They’re (Their/They’re/There) planning to go to a movie later today. The tiny cell (cell/sell) looked much larger under the microscope. The cat screeched loudly when her tail (tale/tail) got caught in the door. Our school principal (principle/principal) is taking us on a field trip. There is no running allowed (allowed/aloud) in the school hallways. The man and his son (son/sun) went to the lake to go fishing. Eric could hardly believe it when he won (one/won) the race. Copyright © 2012 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms.

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Correct the Homophones
Name: Correct the Homophones Recall that homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings. For example, a stake is a wooden post, and a steak is a piece of meat. Read each sentence. If you find a misused homophone, rewrite the sentence correctly. If there is no error, write: The sentence is correct as it is. 1. I went to bed so late that I had trouble falling asleep last knight. I went to bed so late that I had trouble falling asleep last night. 2. You’re lucky that you will sail to Europe on vacation this summer. The sentence is correct as it is. 3. Our fruit salad had apples, oranges, and pairs. Our fruit salad had apples, oranges, and pears. 4. Don’t stare at me! 5. There are too people in line in front of us. There are two people in line in front of us. 6. Her cousin is always hungry an our after eating lunch! Her cousin is always hungry an hour after eating lunch! 7. Eric had to read many books in college. 8. As we drove threw the countryside, we saw a heard of cattle in a field. As we drove through the countryside, we saw a herd of cattle in a field. 9. I could not find everything that I knead at the grocery store. I could not find everything that I need at the grocery store. 10. The building was made of concrete and steal. The building was made of concrete and steel. 11. The busy bee flew around the garden, gathering pollen from all of the flowers. 12. He is always responsible when it comes to his bills, paying them as soon as they are dew. He is always responsible when it comes to his bills, paying them as soon as they are due Copyright © K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms.

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Key Homophone Hunt Name: easy to Recall that homophones are words that sound the same, but have different meanings. For example, a bear is a large, hairy animal. Your feet can be bare if you have no shoes on them. A dog or other creature can bare its teeth to show you it is ready to fight. Sometimes homophones can be mix up, so it’s important to check and make sure your words make sense when you edit your writing. Read one student’s story below. Look for homophones which have been used incorrectly. Cross them out, and write the correct spelling of the homophone which should have been used. Once upon a time, their was a boy named Fred. His hole name was Frederick, but he only there whole liked people to call him Fred. One day, he was very board because it was the winter, and all of bored his friends were on vacation. He decided too go on a quest. The only problem was Fred didn’t to no what to look for on his quest, so he didn’t know where to find it. Then he remembered a know story about a terrible creature with huge clause and read eyes. His brother, Allan, had told him claws red the tail when he was much younger. The creature was supposed to hide in the thicket of trees tale at the end of the street, but you could here him howl allowed in bad weather. hear aloud Fred new the story was true because he could hear the creature’s noises during the knew thunderstorm that past threw the town last week. He decided that he wood find the monster passed through would and shoot it with his BB gun to save the neighborhood from the monster’s screeching. However, when Fred finally maid it to the thicket, the woulds were totally bear accept for one made woods bare except chattering squirrel that tried to steel his mittens write off his hands. steal right “Could this be the monster from my brother’s tail? ” thought Fred. Then it suddenly began tale to reign, and Fred ran home when he herd the thunder. He didn’t here the creature until he got inside his house, and that made him realize that the noise wasn’t from a monster. Other things could make that noise, to. It was just the wind blowing threw the attic. rain heard hear too through Copyright © K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms.

To understand this better, let us look at some examples:

CLEAN

1. The cottage needs a good clean.
2. He clean forgot about dropping the letters in the post box.
3. The entertainment was good clean fun for the whole family.
4. He cleaned up his act and came off drugs.

In the above example, we have used the word clean and used it in 4 different sentences, each signifying a different meaning, along with its usage as different parts of speech.

Sentence A — The cottage needs a good clean. The word clean in this sentence means the act or an instance of cleaning. Since this is an act, hence it is a noun.

Sentence B — He clean forgot about dropping the letters in the post box. The meaning of the word clean in this sentence is completely, and since it is modifying the word forgot which a verb (action word) is, it is an adverb.

Sentence C — The entertainment was good clean fun for the whole family. In this case, the meaning of the word clean is fit for everyone, nothing obscene. The word in this case is modifying fun, which is a noun; hence the word here is an adjective.

Sentence D — He cleaned up his act and came off drugs. In this case the word cleans means to rid of undesirable features. Clean has been used to denote an action, and hence in this case it is a verb.

LIGHT

1. The new lamp had good light for reading.
2. Magnesium is a light metal.
3. Rahul likes to travel light.
4. The choice lighted on me.

Sentence A — The new lamp had good light for reading. In this the word light is being is used to mean a particular quality or type of light. And also it has been used as a noun.
Sentence B — Magnesium is a light metal. In this the word is used to mean having relatively low density, also since it is used to describe the word metal which is a noun, it is an adjective.
Sentence C — Rahul likes to travel light. In this, the word light means little equipment, baggage, etc.
Sentence D — the choice lighted on me. In this the word light is used to denote an action thus it is verb and it means to strike or fall on.

Some of the similar kinds of words are:

LOVE

We love you. (Here, love is a verb as it is showing the action in terms of expressing an emotion)
Love is blind. (Here, Love is a noun as it is a name of an emotion)

WATER

We drink water. (Here, water is a noun as it is name of the thing)
They water the plants. (Here, water is a verb as here it means giving water to plants i.e. an action)
This is a water pipe. (Here, water is a adjective as it is describing pipe which is a noun)

ABOVE

The heavens showered blessings from above. (Here, ‘above’ is used as a noun)
She is above average in intelligence. (Here, above is a preposition as here it is showing the position or the status of the pronoun ‘she’)
Analyze the above sentence. (Here, above is an adjective as it telling something about the noun ‘sentence’)

FAST

He did not take anything during the fast. (It names something, so it is a noun)
Muslims fast during Ramazan. (This is an activity, so fast is a verb)
She speaks fast. (This becomes adverb here as it is describing a verb i.e. )

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