Word Chest | Week 2 | Homonyms

Hello, kids!

It is another weekend again — a perfect time to study and do your homework. So in the last adventure, we discovered a chest of words related to music. At the end of the lesson, we also had an activity and received beautiful entries from @ibtisamwaqas, @kishwarsumbal, @binqawas, @fredquartum, @madilyn02, @fortwis09 and @joymm. I have to commend these seven participants for taking part in the activity despite their heavy workload at school. I learnt from them as well.

Time to open the box!

There are English words that have the same spelling and pronunciation or sound, but different meanings. You may have come across them in the past, but have you ever wondered how these words are classified?
Oh yeah! we have only one biigggg word in the chest today and that word is HOMONYM.

How do you understand the word “homonym”?

Homonym /'hō-mə-ˌnim/, pronounced as HO-muh-nuhm is derived from two Greek words — “homo” meaning same and “onoma” which means name. In the grammatical unit, the word is classified as a noun. So now you know that homo + nym means "same name", let's define it properly.

Homonyms are words spelt and pronounced alike, but which are different in meaning. They include the following:

Homonym	Meaning 1	Meaning 2	Other Meanings?
Mine	Possessive pronoun e.g. Those pairs of pyjamas are mine.	A bomb that is placed in the ground or water and that explodes when it is touched	A quarry for extracting solid minerals
Pupil	(n) The circular opening in the centre of the iris of the eye that dilates (becomes bigger) to receive light.	(n) A young person learning in school	✅
Hail	Frozen raindrops that fall from the sky	To greet	To call out loudly to attract attention: Hail a taxi.
Ball	(n) A social gathering for dancing with an organized programme: Cinderella wore the most gorgeous dress at the ball	(n) Solid or hollow sphere used for a game E.g. To play tennis, you will need a tennis ball, racket, jersey and sports shoes.	✅
Spirit	(n) Liquor or alcohol	(n) The inner quality or nature of a person. E.g. Man is a tripartite being because he is made up of the body, spirit and soul.	(n) A supernatural being such as ghosts, angels or fairies.
Bark	(n) A short loud sound made by dogs	The strong covering on a tree's trunk or branch.	To speak in an angry tone e.g. The manager barked at his new employee
Bank	Shores of a river: Gabriel was last seen strolling along the river bank	A place where money and valuables are kept. e.g. The robbers who planned to break into the bank have been intercepted by the police	A group of objects arranged together in a row: a bank of payphones
Bar	(n) An official order that prohibits or bans some activity. E.g. The club refused to lift its bar on women members	A drinking place. E.g. Mr Johnson stops by the bar at every close of work to gulp down some spirits and wine	A kind of fish, an open court, (music) lines of time on the staff or stave
Can	A cylindrical container that is used to preserve liquids or food such as meat, fruit and fish. E.g. It is advisable to check the expiration dates on can foods and drinks before consuming them.	To be able to do something e.g. Can you help Beatrice tie her shoes, please?
Run	To race or move fast	To be in control or manage	For liquid or fluid to flow e.g The baby had a running nose.
Boil	A collective noun for a group of hawks just like a kettle or cast	To heat e.g. Chidi boiled 20ml of water for his mom's tea	A painful skin infection
Board	A group of persons that manage the business of an organization	A flat piece of wood	A large smooth surface for writing on e.g blackboard, whiteboard etc.
Tea	(n) A drink made by adding the dried leaves of a tea plant to hot water.	(n) A break e.g. The workers had their tea time at 12:10 pm	A hot beverage e.g. Mom added more cream in my tea
Bowl	(n) Round hollow dish e.g. Mix the flour and baking powder in a bowl.	(n) A heavy wooden ball for the game of bowls.
Type	An example of a class or group	To write with a typewriter, keypad or computer keyboard.	✅
Saw	Past tense of see	A tool used to cut woods	To cut woods with a saw.
Box	(n) Container often with lid, e.g tool box	(v.) To give someone a blow	✅
Call	(n) Shout or cry for help or someone's attention	(n) Visit a person's house	(n) Military signal on a bugle
Cast	(v.) throw; allow to fall or drop	Actors/actresses in a play	✅
Counter	Flat surface on which goods are displayed	To oppose: The SSG countered their opinion	✅
Due	Suitable; right; proper programme.	That which must be given to someone because it is right or owed, etc: Mrs Ngoenyi is due for a promotion

English Grammar Rules

• It's important to note that homonyms can only be distinguished based on the context of a sentence. Look at the sentences:
  → The bark became louder as the strangers approached the gate.
  → Elephants eat barks, fruits and leaves.

In the first sentence, "bark" indicates the sound of a dog while the second indicates the hard covering on a tree's trunk.

See another example:
→ Man is created in God's image.
→ At her father's demise, the board appointed Deborah to man the family's company.

"Man" in the first sentence refers to homo sapiens whether male or female. In the second sentence, it means _"to manage or run" and so Deborah was made to manage the family's company.

• Also, homonymic words can be classified under different parts of speech e.g noun, pronoun, verb, adjectives etc. See the sentences:
  → Man is created in God's image.
  → At her father's demise, the board appointed Deborah to man the family's company.

In sentence 1, the word "man" functions as a noun, but functions as a verb in sentence 2.

The user of English words certainly enriches his/her vocabulary by exploring the various meanings of each word. To end this lesson, let me give you an assignment.

ACTIVITY

• Read up the meaning of the words given above in a dictionary.
• Using a table, write out two meanings of the homonymic words below. Give at least one appropriate sentence for each.
  a. plain
  b. table
  c. fine
  d. vice
  e. sentence

Rules

1. This activity is exclusively for kids.
2. Answers should be dropped in the comment section.
3. Use a table, check @cryptokannon's guide for applying mark down to learn more.
4. Attach a link to your Achievement One post.
5. Apply the correct Markdown format where necessary.
6. Invite your friends to participate.

Have a blessed week!

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