Investigate Homonyms

Welcome word detective! You’re just in time to help us with the latest puzzle, what a stroke of luck!

 

What do you notice about the word stick in the two sentences below?

I threw the stick for my dog to chase.

I used the glue to stick the photos in my album. 

 

We’ll give you a clue, the word stick means something completely different in each sentence!

 

Some words are spelled the same, but have more than one meaning. We call these homonyms.

 

For example, stick could mean a branch from a tree, or the act of gluing something down.

 

                          
Below are some different meanings for a word which is spelled the same (a homonym). 

The opposite of right.

Leaving something behind.

 

Which word do these sentences define?

a) down

b) around

c) beside 

d) left

The answer is left because it matches both of the meanings!

 

         

Let’s try another:

Being part of society.

One of the suits in a pack of cards.

 

Which word do these sentences define?

a) club

b) hammer

c) trunk

d) group

The answer is club as it matches both of the meanings! 

 

       

 

In this activity, you will need to be a homonym hunter and match words to their meanings.

 

Pssst!! Here's a handy hint to help you reach superstar status: You may want to use a dictionary for any words you find tricky. You can then write them down on a piece of paper and start your own collection of new words!