Homonyms
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Homonyms are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings. It might not matter when you speak, but it does matter when writing.
This is an extensive list, but if you think something needs to be added, feel free to contact me.
Ad - a commercial on TV; short for advertisement.
While watching Star Trek I saw a ridiculous ad for bread.
Add - a math function; sometimes short for addition. To combine.
If you add extra cheese to the macaroni, it'll taste better.
Allowed - permission to do something
I was always allowed to stay up past my bedtime on Saturday so I could watch hockey.
Aloud - vocalized or spoken.
He read the instructions aloud so we would all know what to do.
Ate - having eaten in the past.
The last time I ate chocolate, I broke out in a rash.
Eight - a number.
An octopus has eight arms.
Bail - collateral deposited to a court
Do you have enough money to post bail for your brother?
Bale - a bundle
You forgot a bale of hay out in the back field.
Ball - a child's toy (or a gala event)
When the kids were little they shared a bouncy ball.
(Cinderella went to the ball in a pumpkin limo).
Bawl - cry
If you watch Armeggedon, you'll probably bawl over the ending.
Band - a group or ring
KISS was my favourite band when I was younger.
That guy has a wedding band on.
Banned - Disallowed
Gene was banned from the bar after he got into a bloody brawl.
Bear - an animal, or to carry or hold
I couldn't bear to see the polar bear in such pain.
Bare - without covering
The room looks bare without the Christmas tree and presents.
Be - exist or happen
I'll be back when I'm finished.
Bee - an insect
I saw a bee buzzing around the flowers.
Billed - sent payment
The satelite company billed me for channels I didn't have.
Build - to create
If it snows, do you want to build a snowman?
Blew - past tense of blow
The wind blew yesterday, but it didn't blow today.
Blue - a colour
My daughter's favourite colour is Toronto Maple Leaf blue.
Board - construction material or a council table.
Somebody put a pine board in the boardroom.
Bored - dull, uninterested or to make a hole
I was bored when Dad and I bored holes in the bottom of the old bucket.
Bow - a movement
Ed will bow after his performance in front of the Queen.
Bough - a tree branch
I need another bough to finish off this wreath.
Brake - Things on a vehicle that make you stop
The pedal on the left is the brake. Make sure you use it at a STOP sign.
Break - A stoppage (of something that works)
I'm going home on my lunch break. (a stoppage in your work)
Merlin, did you break your wand? (wand no longer works)
Breach - gap or vulnerability; infraction of law
There's a breach in the submarine wall.
Breech - refers to the rear of the trunk of the body
A baby born in the breech position comes out bum first.
Bye - a farewell
I have to go now, but I'll see you later. Bye.
By - near
We had our picnic in the park by the ocean.
Buy - purchase
You can't buy cigarettes in New Brunswick until you're 19.
Beech - a nut
The Latin name for the European Beech tree is Fagus sylvatica.
Beach - a sandy place near water
I'd like to walk on the red sands of a Prince Edward Island beach.
Bolder - braver
The old knight was bolder than the youngest one.
Boulder - a large rock
The boulder rolled down the mountain and blocked the road to the lookout.
Bread - something to eat
You need two slices of bread to make a sandwich.
Bred - raised or produced
My mother once bred Siamese cats.
Cant - 1. a kind of speech 2. a slope
Nabbed is thieves' cant for arrested.
The wind caused the tree to cant to the right.
Can't - contraction for cannot
I really can't figure this Twitter thing out.
Caret - a mark - ^
Use the caret to show where you want me to insert the comma.
Carrot - a vegetable
A carrot is orange, crunchy and yummy.
Carat - unit of weight
That 1 carat diamond would look bigger if your finger were smaller.
Karat - unit of gold
If you have 18 karat gold, it isn't pure gold.
Cell - a small space, or a unit of a living thing
The prisoner sat quietly in his jail cell.
An amoeba has only one cell; a human body has many.
Sell - vend, or exchange for money
If you have a yardsale, be sure to sell that ugly lamp.
Cent - see Scent
Census - statistics
If you're interested in your ancestry, census records are a good place to look.
Senses - mental faculties (sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch)
Which of the 5 senses do you consider most important?
Cereal - breakfast food
My favourite cereal is Shreddies.
Serial - a series, consecutive
Silver Blade publishes serial stories as well as short fiction.
Cheap - low-budget*
Robert bought a cheap car and it broke down after he'd driven it only one week.
Cheep - a sound made by a young bird
"Cheep, cheep," said the baby bird.
*Inexpensive and cheap are not necessarily the same thing. A product can be inexpensive yet still fairly good quality. A cheap product is often just that: cheap, shoddy or low qualilty.
Chews - what you do with food or gum
Jane chews gum with fervor.
Choose - opt, select
You're soon going to have to choose which university you want to attend.
Choral - in a chorus
The head of the choral society sang soprano.
Coral - marine animals
The water was so clear you could see pink and white coral beneath the waves.
Chute - a passage
The chute under the bathroom cupboard will take the dirty laundry directly to the laundry room.
Shoot - something done with a gun
Ben wants to shoot a moose with his new gun.
Cite - see Sight
Creak - a noise
Did you hear that door creak? You'd better oil the hinges.
Creek - a small stream of water larger than a brook
When we were little we used to play in the creek behind the house.
Crews - groups of people
All the NB Power crews were out when the power went out in the storm.
Cruise - sailing trip
My mom and dad went on a cruise to the Bahamas.
Cymbal - part of a drum kit
Sabian is a top cymbal manufacturer founded in Meductic, New Brunswick, Canada.
Symbol - picture representing something, a logo
The Celtic symbol of loyalty is a dog.
Days - units in a week
If there were eight days a week, I could get more accomplished.
Daze - stupor
Hitting his head on that tree left Trevor in a daze.
Dear - much loved or valued
My dear wife, that ring is too dear for me to afford.
Deer - an animal
In New Brunswick we have whitetail deer.
Dew - morning moisture
At 8AM the grass is still wet with dew.
Do - act upon
If he would only do what he said he would, his mom would be much happier.
Due - deadline or date when something will happen.
My cousin is due to have her baby June 25th.
Dual - of two
If my grandfather lived in the US instead of Canada, I might have dual citizenship.
Duel - a fight between two armed people
Who do you think would win a duel between Jesse James and Black Bart?
Die - stop living
Your hamster will die if you don't feed and water him.
Dye - change colour
Emma wants to dye her hair bright orange.
Doe - female deer
If the deer doesn't have antlers then it's a doe.
Dough - a mixture of ingredients for making bread or pastries
The bread dough needs a warm place to rise.
Earn - receive payment for services, or to merit, deserve as a reward
You can earn a living as a gigolo, but you probably won't earn "Father of the year".
Erne (or ern) - a sea eagle
The ern ate the fish it held in its talons.
Urn - a container
His grandfather's ashes were in the silver urn on the mantle.
Eight - see Ate
Ewe - female sheep
The sheepdog found the lost ewe, with her baby, behind the tree.
Ew - expression (again, not a homonym, but needs to be distinguished from ewe, which is pronounced "u")
Ew! Dill pickle potato chips are gross.
You - what you call me
Grandma sent that package for you, not for me.
Yew - a tree
Keep the kids away from the Yew in the backyard because it's poisonous.
Exercise - activity; a workout
Paula went to the gym every day for exercise.
Exorcise - banish a demon
Mr. & Mrs. Smith called a pastor to exorcise the demon from their apartment.
Eye - a body part
Billy has one brown eye and one blue eye.
I - what you call yourself
I stood in the rain and got wet.
Fair - evenly balanced or a carnival
It was fair that both brothers got a new pair of jeans so they could go to the village fair.
Fare - fee paid
Mary had to pay bus fare for us both because I forgot my purse.
Feat - accomplishment, skill or stunt
He performed an amazing feat on that little bike.
Feet - body parts
Wear comfortable shoes if you have to stand on your feet all day.
Find - discover
If you find a treasure, you have to share with me.
Fined - penalized by paying money
Hockey players often get fined for head shots.
Fir - a type of tree
I want a maple tree, not a fir.
Fur - hair on an animal
That little dog has long, silky fur.
Flair - style or special talent
Victoria had a flair for designing dresses, and she always created them with flair.
Flare - something getting stronger - a fire, a pain, an argument
I hope the pain in my knees doesn't flare up when we go hiking today.
Flea - an insect
The dog had flea bites all over.
Flee - to runaway
If I know Sadie, she'll flee when the going gets rough.
Flew - past tense of fly
The bird flew into the window, then fell onto the ground.
Flu - an illness
Johnny couldn't go to work when he was sick with the flu.
Flue - part of a chimney
Those birds get stuck in the flue every year after eating fermented berries.
Flour - a baking ingredient
The cookies won't turn out if you forget the flour.
Flower - a plant
Do you see the bee on that pink flower?
For - meant to be received by or instead of
This cup is for you so you can use it for a bowl, since you have none.
Fore - front
The fore mast on that ship has a crow's nest, the one aft doesn't.
Four - a number
There were four people living in the house once the oldest boy moved out.
Forth - go forward
A swing goes forth, and then comes back.
Fourth - comes after third in a line of something
Herman and Gordon came in fourth in the three-legged race.
Foul - dirty or impure
The water in that barrel is foul because it's been in there for two months.
Fowl - barnyard animal
The duck, goose and turkey are examples of barnyard fowl.
Frees - get out from under control of something
Being out in the garden frees me from the confines of housework.
Freeze - harden to a solid state
If the temperature dips below 0C overnight, the water in those puddles will freeze.