# Words spelled & pronounced exactly like, but different meanings **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 20, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258 "2006-10-20T18:07:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/1 "2006-10-20T18:07:01Z")
What’s the name for this type of thing? Here are a few: “Rose” He rose to give thanks. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. “Poach” How long does it take to poach an egg? The lord of the manor will not let you poach his game. “Leaves” He leaves every morning at 8:00. This tree dumps a lot of leaves every fall. Any more? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/2 "2006-10-20T18:11:26Z")
Homonyms. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/3 "2006-10-20T18:28:22Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] Homonyms. [/QUOTE] ::checking Wikipedia:: By George, you’re right. I thought a homonym was a word pronounced the same as another word, but spelled differently. However, that would be a _homophone_. My ignorance is fought! Here’s another: “Pit” I almost choked on this apricot pit! Don’t fall into the pit by the side of the road. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/4 "2006-10-20T18:32:43Z")
[QUOTE=teela brown] “Pit” I almost choked on this apricot pit! Don’t fall into the pit by the side of the road. [/QUOTE] If you don’t stop that, you’ll get moved to The BBQ Pit. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/5 "2006-10-20T18:39:43Z")
I’ve always found it intriguing that “cleave” can have two totally contrary meanings: To stick together: cleave to one’s family. To break apart: cleave a crystal. Bizarre language. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/6 "2006-10-20T18:40:26Z")
A joke that plays on this phenomenon: A man went hunting for grizzly. As he was driving to the forest, he saw a sign that said **BEAR LEFT**. So the guy went back home. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/7 "2006-10-20T18:40:53Z")
My favorite is the difference in meaning between “run fast” and “stand fast.” Daniel ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/8 "2006-10-20T19:01:29Z")
The classic pair: Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. There are hundreds of these in English. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/9 "2006-10-20T19:05:20Z")
There’s also “Bill.” 1. A document of shipment contents (bill of lading) or itemized expenses 2. A bank note 3. The beak of certain water fowl “Check” (a common American spelling of “cheque”) is similar. 1. An document of itemized expenses 2. A payment note used in lieu of currency 3. To examine It is therefore entirely possible to pay a bill with a check, or pay a check with a bill, or check your check before paying your bill with a bill. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/10 "2006-10-20T19:11:55Z")
I don’t know if it remains true (or ever was), but I recall reading/hearing/learning that the word ‘Run’ had more different definitions than any other word in the English language. There are [150 distinct definitions listed at dictionary.com](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/run), plus another 29 different phrases using ‘run’. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/11 "2006-10-20T20:27:49Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] The classic pair: Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. There are hundreds of these in English. [/QUOTE] Holy shit. I must’ve seen that quote a hundred times, and I only just now realized that the second line isn’t commenting on the aerodynamic properties of a plantain. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/12 "2006-10-20T20:55:52Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] Homonyms. [/QUOTE] Real nice! :eek: Insult somebody’s sexuality just cause they don’t know what a word…. never mind. Slinks into a corner :o ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/13 "2006-10-20T21:07:56Z")
Well, well, well. ---
**Author:** ![kurilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea5d25/32.png) [@kurilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kurilla)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/14 "2006-10-20T21:09:48Z")
[QUOTE=Shayna] I don’t know if it remains true (or ever was), but I recall reading/hearing/learning that the word ‘Run’ had more different definitions than any other word in the English language. There are [150 distinct definitions listed at dictionary.com](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/run), plus another 29 different phrases using ‘run’. [/QUOTE] Run is actually second, according to the OED [as referenced here](http://puzzles.about.com/library/weekly/blmosdef.htm). Set is first, with 464 different definitions. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/15 "2006-10-20T21:38:27Z")
What’s interesting is the extent to which, as a native English speaker, you just take these things for granted. For instance, “spring” the season and “spring” the coiled wire are different enough concepts that you basically always know from the context which meaning is being referred to, so it’s easy to not even notice that the words are the same. Note that most of these examples are one syllable, “simple” (for lack of a more precise adjective) words. I wonder what the longest/most-polysyballic homonyms are? It makes a lot more sense that “frank” means both “hot dog” and “honest” than if “reprecussion” happened to have a totally unrelated meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/16 "2006-10-20T22:08:29Z")
[QUOTE=MaxTheVool] I wonder what the longest/most-polysyballic homonyms are? It makes a lot more sense that “frank” means both “hot dog” and “honest” than if “reprecussion” happened to have a totally unrelated meaning. [/QUOTE] Repercussion: The second drum solo. Oh, sorry. Wrong thread. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/17 "2006-10-20T22:20:44Z")
[QUOTE=MaxTheVool] What’s interesting is the extent to which, as a native English speaker, you just take these things for granted. [/QUOTE] I’ve been plugging away at learning French for a few years, in a casual way. I’m astounded at the number of French words, and liaisons of words, which sound precisely alike but mean totally different things. My husband knows way less French, but he’s better than me at hearing the spoken words correctly (which is very annoying). Here’s another: Trunk Put the suitcases in the trunk of the car. That tree trunk has to be at least two feet thick. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/18 "2006-10-21T00:34:38Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] Holy shit. I must’ve seen that quote a hundred times, and I only just now realized that the second line isn’t commenting on the aerodynamic properties of a plantain. [/QUOTE] Oh, thank Og. I’m not the only one. :o ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/19 "2006-10-21T21:27:37Z")
[QUOTE=Dervorin] I’ve always found it intriguing that “cleave” can have two totally contrary meanings: To stick together: cleave to one’s family. To break apart: cleave a crystal. Bizarre language. [/QUOTE] That reminds me of one of my favorite lines from The Simpsons. Dr. Nick (after burning down his surgery): Inflammable means flammable? What a country! ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258/20 "2006-10-21T23:26:57Z")
Coast ,as in shoreline, or as in a vehicle with engine switched off, moving by momentum. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-spelled-pronounced-exactly-like-but-different-meanings/377258.md?page=2)