These are called homographs (written the same) and if they
also sound the same (homophones), then they are "true homonyms" such as rose (got up) and rose (the flower).
The classic name for homographs that are not pronounced the same is heteronyms.
Examples of heteronyms:
desert (arid land) - desert (abandon)
number (numeral) - number (more numb)
does (performs) - does (female deer)
Some examples of words that have the same spelling but different meanings are "bat" (a flying mammal or a tool used in sports), "bark" (the outer covering of a tree or the sound a dog makes), and "book" (a written or printed work of fiction or nonfiction or to reserve a spot).
The reverse (words spelled the same but with different meanings) would be true homonyms if they sound the same (bat = Baseball or flying mammal), or simply homographs if they have different sounds (lead = being ahead or the heavy element).
Words spelled differently that mean about the same are synonyms.
Words that have the same spelling, and the same pronunciation, but different meanings are called homonyms. Examples are beat (rhythm) and beat (to whip, as eggs). But this term is also (confusingly) used for words that simply have the same sound (pronunciation), such as eight and ate. These are more correctly called homophones (sound alike words).
If they have the same spelling, but different pronunciations, they are homographs. (written the same) such as sow (female pig) and sow (to seed), or the tenses read (pronounced reed) and read (pronounced red). Homographs require a context clue to determine how they are pronounced.
There are a great number of homophones in English.
(see the related question for examples)
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Autoantonyms (contranyms) are words that can have opposite meanings depending on their context (e.g. fast can mean "moving quickly" or "fixed firmly in place
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Homonyms, homophones, and homographs
Think of it like this:
HomoNYM is the same (homo) in name (nym, here meaning spelling).
HomoPHONE sounds the same, as in the word "telephone."
HomoGRAPH means written (graph) the same, such as rose (flower) and rose (went up).
(for more information, see the Related Links below this box)
Some examples of words that are pronounced the same but have different spelling and meanings include: "two," "to," and "too"; "their," "there," and "they're"; and "break" and "brake."
Sound-alikes or homophones are words that have varying methods of spelling, yet sound the same.
Homograph: Words with the same spelling but different meanings, origins, or pronunciations. Homophone: Words that sound the same but have different meanings and often different spellings. Homonym: Words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings.
"Sea" is a homophone. Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings, while homographs are words with the same spelling but different meanings.
Sound-alikes or homophones are words that have varying methods of spelling, yet sound the same.
Homonym- words that share the same spelling and pronunciation, but have different meanings.
Hononym
Some examples of words that are pronounced the same but have different spelling and meanings include: "two," "to," and "too"; "their," "there," and "they're"; and "break" and "brake."
Sound-alikes or homophones are words that have varying methods of spelling, yet sound the same.
Sound-alikes or homophones are words that have varying methods of spelling, yet sound the same.
Homonyms are words that sound the same but have different meanings. They may also be spelled differently, such as "write" and "right," or "ate" and "eight."
two or more words having the same spelling but different meanings
Homonyms are words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings. For example, "bat" can refer to a piece of sports equipment or a nocturnal flying mammal. Homonyms can create confusion in language and require context to understand their intended meaning.
object
"Polish" with a lowercase "p" refers to the nationality or language of Poland, while "Polish" with an uppercase "P" refers to the action of making something smooth and shiny. They are spelled the same due to their historical development as words in the English language.
Some examples of words with the same spelling but different meanings are "bat" (flying mammal or sports equipment), "tear" (to rip or a drop of water from the eye), and "bark" (tree covering or the sound a dog makes).
A homograph has the same spelling with different meanings, maybe different sound. A homonym has the same sound and may have the same spelling, with different meanings.