By Judy Vorfeld
Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, & Heteronyms
HOMONYM: One of two or more words having the same sound and often the same spelling but different meanings. Examples: quail (cower), and quail (bird) fair (appearance), fair (county fair), and fair (reasonable).
HOMOPHONE: One of two or more words pronounced the same but different in meaning, origin, and sometimes spelling. Examples: cite, sight, and site; sea and see; your and you’re; bow and bough.
HOMOGRAPH: One of two or more words spelled alike but different in origin, meaning, and sometimes pronunciation. Examples: bow of a ship, a bow and arrow, and a bow (deference/manners).
HETERONYM: One of two or more words that are spelled the same but that differ in pronunciation and meaning. Examples: bass (voice) and bass (fish); polish (shine) and Polish (from Poland); tear (rip) and tear (from eye).
Some excellent sites:
English Homophones
Homographs
The Heteronym Homepage
Shades of Meaning
One-trick Words
Alan Cooper’s Homonyms
Self-study Homonym Quizzes
Homonym Game
Professor Darling’s Notorious Confusables