Content updated on 24 April 2026
Why does "bark" mean both the sound a dog makes and the outer covering of a tree? Why is "there" different from "their" even though they sound exactly the same? English is full of words that look alike, sound alike, or both — but mean completely different things. This lesson for Class 7, 8, and 9 students clears up the confusion with 200 carefully selected examples of Homonyms, Homophones, and Homographs. They are split into four easy‑to‑study groups. Each word comes with one or two meanings and a clear example sentence. Click any group to expand and start mastering these tricky words.
✅ Recommended for: Class 7–9 (Word Precision) | CBSE & UP Board
(Click any topic to jump straight to that section)
Group 1: Common Homophones (50 words)
๐ View Group 1 (50 words)
1. Accept (verb — to receive) vs. Except (preposition — excluding)
Sentence: I accept your offer, except the late‑night shift.
2. Advice (noun — suggestion) vs. Advise (verb — to recommend)
Sentence: My teacher gave me advice and advised me to practise daily.
3. Affect (verb — to influence) vs. Effect (noun — result)
Sentence: The weather can affect your mood; the effect is sometimes surprising.
4. Allowed (permitted) vs. Aloud (out loud)
Sentence: We are not allowed to read aloud in the library.
5. Bare (naked) vs. Bear (animal / to carry)
Sentence: The bear walked on bare ground.
6. Brake (stop) vs. Break (smash)
Sentence: If you don't brake, you might break the gate.
7. Buy (purchase) vs. By (near) vs. Bye (farewell)
Sentence: I'll buy milk by the shop, then say bye.
8. Cereal (breakfast) vs. Serial (TV series)
Sentence: I eat cereal while watching my favourite serial.
9. Cite (quote) vs. Site (location) vs. Sight (vision)
Sentence: Cite the source, visit the site, and enjoy the sight.
10. Complement (completes) vs. Compliment (praise)
Sentence: The sauce complements the dish; the chef accepted the compliment.
11. Conscience (moral sense) vs. Conscious (awake/aware)
Sentence: My conscience bothered me while I was still conscious of the mistake.
12. Desert (dry land) vs. Dessert (sweet dish)
Sentence: After crossing the desert, we enjoyed a cold dessert.
13. Die (stop living) vs. Dye (colour)
Sentence: Some plants die if you use chemical dye on them.
14. Fair (just / carnival) vs. Fare (ticket price)
Sentence: The fare was fair for the bus to the fair.
15. Flour (powder) vs. Flower (bloom)
Sentence: She used rice flour to make a flower‑shaped cookie.
16. Grate (shred / iron frame) vs. Great (excellent)
Sentence: Grate the cheese on the great iron grate.
17. Hair (strand) vs. Hare (rabbit)
Sentence: The hare had soft brown hair.
18. Heal (cure) vs. Heel (back of foot)
Sentence: The wound will heal, but the heel hurts.
19. Hear (listen) vs. Here (this place)
Sentence: Can you hear me from here?
20. Hole (gap) vs. Whole (entire)
Sentence: There is a hole in the whole plan.
21. Idle (lazy) vs. Idol (hero)
Sentence: An idle student cannot become an idol.
22. Its (possession) vs. It's (it is)
Sentence: It's important to keep the book in its cover.
23. Knew (past of know) vs. New (recent)
Sentence: I knew about the new shop.
24. Knight (warrior) vs. Night (evening)
Sentence: The knight rode off into the night.
25. Know (awareness) vs. No (negative)
Sentence: I know that you mean no harm.
26. Lessen (reduce) vs. Lesson (class)
Sentence: This lesson will lessen your doubt.
27. Mail (post) vs. Male (gender)
Sentence: The male postman delivered the mail.
28. Marry (wed) vs. Merry (cheerful)
Sentence: They will marry in a merry ceremony.
29. Meat (flesh) vs. Meet (gather)
Sentence: Let's meet and cook some meat.
30. Miner (digger) vs. Minor (small / underage)
Sentence: A minor injury stopped the miner from working.
31. Passed (past of pass) vs. Past (time before)
Sentence: I passed the test, leaving the past worries behind.
32. Peace (calm) vs. Piece (portion)
Sentence: I ate a piece of cake in peace.
33. Plain (simple / flat land) vs. Plane (aircraft)
Sentence: The plane flew over the plain.
34. Principal (head / main) vs. Principle (rule)
Sentence: Our principal follows strong principles.
35. Rain (water) vs. Reign (rule)
Sentence: The king's reign began during the rain.
36. Right (correct / direction) vs. Write (compose)
Sentence: It is right to write your answers neatly.
37. Role (part) vs. Roll (move / bread)
Sentence: The actor will roll out his role perfectly.
38. Sale (selling) vs. Sail (boat trip)
Sentence: We will sail to the sale.
39. Scene (view) vs. Seen (past of see)
Sentence: I have seen that scene before.
40. Sea (ocean) vs. See (observe)
Sentence: I can see the sea from my window.
41. Sole (bottom / only) vs. Soul (spirit)
Sentence: The sole purpose of music is to touch the soul.
42. Son (male child) vs. Sun (star)
Sentence: My son loves to watch the sun rise.
43. Stair (step) vs. Stare (gaze)
Sentence: Don't stare at the broken stair.
44. Steal (rob) vs. Steel (metal)
Sentence: They tried to steal the steel beam.
45. Tail (end) vs. Tale (story)
Sentence: The dog wagged its tail during the tale.
46. Their (belonging) vs. There (location) vs. They're (they are)
Sentence: They're leaving their bags over there.
47. To (direction) vs. Too (also / excess) vs. Two (number)
Sentence: I went to the shop to buy two pens too.
48. Waist (body part) vs. Waste (garbage / misuse)
Sentence: Don't waste time measuring your waist.
49. Weak (feeble) vs. Week (seven days)
Sentence: I felt weak for a week.
50. Weather (climate) vs. Whether (if)
Sentence: I don't know whether the weather will be fine.
Group 2: More Homophones & Homonyms (50 words)
๐ View Group 2 (50 words)
1. Aisle (passage) vs. Isle (island)
Sentence: Walk down the aisle to board the plane to the isle.
2. Altar (sacred table) vs. Alter (change)
Sentence: Do not alter the altar decorations.
3. Ant (insect) vs. Aunt (relative)
Sentence: An ant crawled near my aunt.
4. Bail (security) vs. Bale (bundle)
Sentence: A bale of hay was posted as bail.
5. Band (group / strip) vs. Banned (prohibited)
Sentence: The band was banned from playing.
6. Berry (fruit) vs. Bury (cover underground)
Sentence: Bury the berry in the soil.
7. Birth (origin) vs. Berth (seat/bed)
Sentence: His birth was celebrated in a train berth.
8. Blue (colour) vs. Blew (past of blow)
Sentence: The wind blew the blue scarf away.
9. Board (plank / group) vs. Bored (uninterested)
Sentence: The board members looked bored.
10. Bow (bend / ribbon) vs. Bough (branch)
Sentence: Tie a bow on the bough.
11. Boy (male child) vs. Buoy (floating marker)
Sentence: The boy swam towards the buoy.
12. Bridal (wedding) vs. Bridle (horse headgear)
Sentence: The bride's bridal dress had a bridle design.
13. Capital (city / money) vs. Capitol (building)
Sentence: Delhi is the capital; the Capitol is in Washington.
14. Cell (small room) vs. Sell (exchange for money)
Sentence: They plan to sell the contents of the prison cell.
15. Chord (music) vs. Cord (string)
Sentence: The cord broke while playing the chord.
16. Course (path / meal) vs. Coarse (rough)
Sentence: The main course was served on coarse plates.
17. Deer (animal) vs. Dear (loved)
Sentence: The dear deer is in the garden.
18. Dew (moisture) vs. Due (owed)
Sentence: The flowers were covered in dew, and payment was due.
19. Ewe (female sheep) vs. You (person)
Sentence: You are as gentle as a ewe.
20. Feat (achievement) vs. Feet (limbs)
Sentence: Walking on hot coal is a feat for your feet.
21. Forth (forward) vs. Fourth (4th)
Sentence: Go forth to the fourth floor.
22. Gait (walk) vs. Gate (door)
Sentence: Her slow gait brought her to the gate.
23. Guessed (assumed) vs. Guest (visitor)
Sentence: I guessed the guest would be late.
24. Hi (hello) vs. High (tall)
Sentence: Hi, look at that high tree!
25. Hour (60 minutes) vs. Our (belonging to us)
Sentence: Our class starts in an hour.
26. Inn (hotel) vs. In (inside)
Sentence: We stayed in a cosy inn in the city.
27. Lead (metal) vs. Led (guided)
Sentence: The guide led us to a lead mine.
28. Loan (lend) vs. Lone (alone)
Sentence: The lone traveller took a loan.
29. Made (created) vs. Maid (helper)
Sentence: The maid made a delicious meal.
30. Main (primary) vs. Mane (hair)
Sentence: The main attraction was a lion with a thick mane.
31. Medal (award) vs. Meddle (interfere)
Sentence: Don't meddle with the gold medal.
32. Missed (failed) vs. Mist (fog)
Sentence: We missed the turn in the mist.
33. None (zero) vs. Nun (religious lady)
Sentence: None of the nuns were present.
34. Oar (paddle) vs. Or (alternative) vs. Ore (mineral)
Sentence: Use the oar or carry the ore.
35. Pail (bucket) vs. Pale (light coloured)
Sentence: The pale pail was full of water.
36. Pain (ache) vs. Pane (window glass)
Sentence: He felt pain near the broken pane.
37. Pair (two) vs. Pear (fruit)
Sentence: I ate a pear with a pair of spoons.
38. Patience (calmness) vs. Patients (sick people)
Sentence: Doctors need patience for their patients.
39. Peek (glance) vs. Peak (top)
Sentence: Take a peek from the mountain peak.
40. Pier (dock) vs. Peer (look / equal)
Sentence: Peer at the pier from the boat.
41. Prays (worships) vs. Preys (hunts) vs. Praise (compliment)
Sentence: She prays that praise follows her and no one preys on the weak.
42. Rein (horse control) vs. Reign (rule) vs. Rain (water)
Sentence: The king's reign was blessed with gentle rain; hold the rein tight.
43. Rise (increase) vs. Rays (sunbeams)
Sentence: The sun's rays rise at dawn.
44. Rode (past of ride) vs. Road (street)
Sentence: He rode his bike on the dusty road.
45. Rose (flower / past of rise) vs. Rows (lines)
Sentence: Rows of roses rose in the garden.
46. Scent (smell) vs. Sent (past of send) vs. Cent (coin)
Sentence: I sent a cent for the sweet scent.
47. Seam (stitch) vs. Seem (appear)
Sentence: The seam seems perfect.
48. Sew (stitch) vs. So (therefore) vs. Sow (plant)
Sentence: I sew the seeds I sow, so they grow.
49. Threw (past of throw) vs. Through (passing across)
Sentence: He threw the ball through the window.
50. Vain (proud) vs. Vein (blood vessel) vs. Vane (weather vane)
Sentence: His vain attempt to read the vein from the vane failed.
Group 3: Homonyms & Homographs (50 words)
๐ View Group 3 (50 words)
1. Address (location / speech)
Sentence: Please write your address and then address the audience.
2. Average (mean) vs. Average (ordinary)
Sentence: The average score of an average student is rising.
3. Bank (financial / side of river)
Sentence: The bank is built on the bank of the river.
4. Bark (tree skin / dog sound)
Sentence: The bark of the tree matched the dog's bark.
5. Bat (animal / sports tool)
Sentence: A bat flew into my bat.
6. Book (read / reserve)
Sentence: Book a ticket using the phone book.
7. Bow (tie / bend / weapon)
Sentence: Bow to the queen with a bow in your hand.
8. Can (ability / container)
Sentence: I can open a can of peas.
9. Change (transform / coins)
Sentence: I have a lot of change to change at the bank.
10. Close (shut / near)
Sentence: Close the door and stay close.
11. Content (happy / subject matter)
Sentence: She felt content with the content of the book.
12. Date (day / fruit / romantic meet)
Sentence: I have a date on that date to eat a date.
13. Deck (ship floor / pack of cards)
Sentence: A deck of cards was left on the deck.
14. Drop (let fall / tiny amount)
Sentence: Add a drop of water and drop the spoon.
15. Duck (bird / lower head)
Sentence: The duck taught me to duck under the branch.
16. Even (flat / also / divisible by two)
Sentence: The ground was even, even I could run on it, and my number is even.
17. Express (fast / show)
Sentence: Take the express train to express your feelings quickly.
18. Fair (festival / just / light)
Sentence: The fair had a fair decision for people with fair skin.
19. Fall (autumn / drop down)
Sentence: In the fall, leaves fall.
20. Fan (device / admirer)
Sentence: A fan gave me a fan.
21. File (folder / submit / tool)
Sentence: Use the file to file the report in the file.
22. Fine (good / small money penalty)
Sentence: It's fine to pay a fine.
23. Fly (insect / move through air)
Sentence: A fly can fly.
24. Grave (burial / serious)
Sentence: They stood by the grave in a grave mood.
25. Guard (protect / watchman)
Sentence: The guard must guard the gate.
26. Hide (conceal / animal skin)
Sentence: Hide the hide.
27. Iron (metal / press clothes)
Sentence: I iron the iron grill.
28. Jam (fruit spread / traffic)
Sentence: I am stuck in a jam eating jam.
29. Key (opener / piano button / important)
Sentence: The key idea is to find the key for the piano key.
30. Kind (type / gentle)
Sentence: What kind of kind person does that?
31. Leaves (tree part / departs)
Sentence: The tree sheds leaves as he leaves.
32. Lie (recline / untruth)
Sentence: It's wrong to lie on a lie.
33. Light (illumination / not heavy)
Sentence: The light bag had a light bulb.
34. Like (enjoy / similar)
Sentence: I like people who look like me.
35. Match (game / flame stick / equal)
Sentence: The match was lit for the cricket match; the teams didn't match.
36. Mine (belonging to me / excavation)
Sentence: That coal mine is mine.
37. Park (garden / leave a vehicle)
Sentence: Park the car in the park.
38. Pen (enclosure / writing tool)
Sentence: The pig in the pen has my pen.
39. Point (tip / purpose / score)
Sentence: The point of the pencil has a blunt point.
40. Pound (weight / currency / crush)
Sentence: A pound of sugar costs a pound, so I pound it.
41. Present (gift / current time / introduce)
Sentence: At present, I present a present.
42. Produce (create / vegetables)
Sentence: Farmers produce produce.
43. Refuse (deny / garbage)
Sentence: I refuse to touch that refuse.
44. Ring (circle / sound / jewellery)
Sentence: I heard my ring ring in the ring.
45. Rock (stone / music genre / sway)
Sentence: I rock to rock music on a rock.
46. Row (line / boat movement / argument)
Sentence: Sit in the row and row the boat after the row.
47. Seal (animal / close tightly)
Sentence: The seal helped seal the box.
48. Ship (vehicle / send)
Sentence: We ship the products on a ship.
49. Sign (symbol / write a signature)
Sentence: Look at the sign and sign here.
50. Spring (season / coil / jump / water source)
Sentence: In spring, a spring broke, so I spring up to fix it.
Group 4: Mixed Tricky Words (50 words)
๐ View Group 4 (50 words)
1. Stationary (not moving) vs. Stationery (writing material)
Sentence: The stationary car had stationery in the back seat.
2. Storey (floor) vs. Story (tale)
Sentence: The story is set in a two‑storey building.
3. Straight (not curved) vs. Strait (narrow waterway)
Sentence: The strait was straight as an arrow.
4. Suite (set of rooms) vs. Sweet (sugary)
Sentence: They served sweet tea in the hotel suite.
5. Summary (brief) vs. Summery (summer‑like)
Sentence: The weather today is summery, in summary.
6. Than (comparison) vs. Then (after)
Sentence: She is taller than me; then she walked away.
7. Throne (royal seat) vs. Thrown (past of throw)
Sentence: The queen was thrown from the throne.
8. Tide (ocean) vs. Tied (fastened)
Sentence: The boat is tied to the dock during high tide.
9. Vary (change) vs. Very (extremely)
Sentence: The weather can vary from very hot to very cold.
10. Wander (roam) vs. Wonder (amazement)
Sentence: I wander through the forest and feel wonder.
11. Ware (goods) vs. Wear (clothing) vs. Where (location)
Sentence: Where do you wear the ware you bought?
12. Way (path) vs. Weigh (measure weight)
Sentence: On the way, weigh your luggage.
13. Wood (material) vs. Would (conditional)
Sentence: Would you like a toy made of wood?
14. Write (compose) vs. Right (correct) vs. Rite (ritual)
Sentence: It is right to write about the rite.
15. Yoke (wooden beam) vs. Yolk (egg yellow)
Sentence: The yoke of the oxen is the colour of yolk.
16. Aloud (audible) vs. Allowed (permitted)
Sentence: Reading aloud is allowed in the corner of the library.
17. Ascent (climb) vs. Assent (agreement)
Sentence: He gave his assent for the mountain ascent.
18. Bail (release) vs. Bale (bundle)
Sentence: The defendant was released on bail; a bale of hay was left behind.
19. Bore (drill / tire) vs. Boar (pig)
Sentence: The wild boar bore a hole in the fence.
20. Canvas (cloth) vs. Canvass (survey)
Sentence: We will canvass the area using a canvas bag.
21. Censer (incense burner) vs. Censor (remove content) vs. Censure (criticise)
Sentence: The censor may censure the use of a censer.
22. Click (sound) vs. Clique (group)
Sentence: With a click, the clique entered the party.
23. Core (centre) vs. Corps (military unit)
Sentence: The army corps met at the core of the city.
24. Cymbal (instrument) vs. Symbol (sign)
Sentence: The cymbal is a symbol of percussion.
25. Dowse (drench) vs. Douse (extinguish)
Sentence: Douse the flame and then dowse the area with water.
26. Draft (plan / wind) vs. Draught (breeze / drink)
Sentence: The draft of the notice was ruined by a draught of cold air.
27. Elicit (draw out) vs. Illicit (illegal)
Sentence: The police tried to elicit information about illicit activities.
28. Ensure (guarantee) vs. Insure (cover by insurance)
Sentence: I ensure you that I will insure my car.
29. Exalt (praise) vs. Exult (rejoice)
Sentence: We exalt the heroes and exult in their victory.
30. Forbear (refrain) vs. Forebear (ancestor)
Sentence: I forbear telling my forebear's secrets.
31. Gaff (hook) vs. Gaffe (mistake)
Sentence: The fisherman made a gaffe by dropping the gaff.
32. Grisly (horrible) vs. Grizzly (grey‑haired / bear)
Sentence: The grizzly bear's attack was grisly.
33. Hoard (store up) vs. Horde (large crowd)
Sentence: A horde of shoppers arrived to hoard the sale items.
34. Levee (embankment / reception) vs. Levy (tax)
Sentence: The levee held back the water, but the new levy caused anger.
35. Mantel (shelf) vs. Mantle (cloak)
Sentence: Place the clock on the mantel under the cloak.
36. Marshal (officer / arrange) vs. Martial (military)
Sentence: The marshal gave orders of martial law.
37. Palate (roof of mouth / taste) vs. Palette (artist board) vs. Pallet (wooden platform)
Sentence: Her palate was as colourful as a painter's palette resting on a pallet.
38. Pedal (foot lever) vs. Peddle (sell)
Sentence: He would peddle his goods while riding a bicycle with a broken pedal.
39. Pore (tiny hole / study) vs. Pour (flow)
Sentence: We pore over the books while it starts to pour outside.
40. Pray (worship) vs. Prey (victim)
Sentence: The hawk circles its prey as we pray.
41. Prescribe (recommend medicine) vs. Proscribe (forbid)
Sentence: The doctor had to prescribe what the law does not proscribe.
42. Rack (frame) vs. Wrack (destroy)
Sentence: The storm will wrack the old spice rack.
43. Sheer (complete / transparent) vs. Shear (cut)
Sentence: With sheer will, he shear the wool.
44. Sleight (skill) vs. Slight (small / insult)
Sentence: He showed sleight of hand despite the slight injury.
45. Toe (digit) vs. Tow (pull)
Sentence: He hurt his toe and had to tow his cart.
46. Undo (reverse) vs. Undue (excessive)
Sentence: Undo the knot without undue force.
47. Urban (city) vs. Urbane (suave)
Sentence: The urbane gentleman lives in an urban area.
48. Vial (small bottle) vs. Vile (disgusting)
Sentence: The vial contained a vile liquid.
49. Waver (hesitate) vs. Waiver (give up a right)
Sentence: Do not waver to sign the waiver.
50. Whine (complain) vs. Wine (drink)
Sentence: Don't whine about the spilt wine.
Why Mastering Tricky Words Elevates Your Communication
Knowing the difference between a homophone, homonym, and homograph saves you from embarrassing mistakes in writing. Writing "your" instead of "you're" or "there" instead of "their" can change the meaning of your sentence completely and leave a poor impression on the reader. Exams explicitly test these words because they reveal whether you truly understand the language. Make a habit of keeping a personal "confusing words" notebook. Every time you discover a pair like "affect" vs. "effect", write it down with a sentence. Over time, these 200 words will become second nature to you.
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- Worksheets Master Hub — Every worksheet you need.
๐ Homonyms, Homophones & Homographs Worksheet – Class 7, 8 & 9
This worksheet covers 200 tricky word pairs and groups. It includes multiple‑choice questions, fill‑in‑the‑blanks, and sentence correction exercises to help you master these confusing words. Includes 50 questions.
Homonyms & Homophones Worksheet »Answer key included • Aligned with CBSE & UP Board curriculum
