These are two or three words having the same spelling and pronunciation, but different meanings:

Here is a small list with examples:

(a) Address: location. Example: What is your office address?

(b) Address: to speak to. Example: The Chairman addressed the employees on Performance Appraisal.

(a) Band: a musical group. Example: What’s your favourite band?

(b) Band: strip/ a thin, flat piece of cloth, elastic, metal, or other material put around something. Example: I got 5 friendship bands by my friends. I liked the silver one.

(a) Bark: the sound a Dog makes. Example: I heard many Dogs barking outside.

(b) Bark: a tree’s outer layer. Example: The bark of many trees is rough.

(a) Bat: a small animal like a mouse with wings that flies at night. Example: Children are afraid of Bats.

(b) Bat: a specially shaped piece of wood used for hitting the ball in some games. Example: The Cricketer hit a ball with his bat.

(a) Bank: an organization where people and businesses can invest or borrow money, change it to foreign money, etc., or a building where these services are offered. Example: We deposit money in Banks.

(b) Bank: sloping raised land, especially along the sides of a river. Example: I love to sit on the bank of the river Ganges.

(a) Bear: an animal. Example: We saw bears also in the zoo.

(b) Bear: to tolerate. Example: He has been bearing the pain of loss for 2 years.

(c) Bear: to support. Example: I assure you that I will bear your expenses till you get financially independent.

(a) Can: a metal container. Example: He opened the beer can in haste.

(b) Can: shows ability/able to. Example: If you practice, you can sing well.

(a) Circular: shaped like a circle. Example: The structure of the new building is Circular in shape and not Rectangular.

(b) Circular: a letter or notice sent to a lar-ge number of people. Example: The Manager has issued a Circular to the employees stating the Do’s and Don’ts at workplace.

(a) Content: satisfied/pleased with your and not hoping for change or improvement. Example: I am Content with what I have as I know that Greed is the cause of destruction.

(b) Content: the ideas that are contained in a piece of writing, a speech, or a film. Example: The novel doesn’t have a good content.

(a) Current: up to date. Example: What is your Current profile in the organization?

(b) Current: flow of water. Example: It’s difficult to row the boat against strong current.

(a) Dear: love or like very much. Example: My Dog is very dear to me.

(b) Dear: expensive. Example: He sold everything that was dear to him to protect his family.

(a) Duck: a bird that lives by water and has webbed feet. Example: We can see Ducks near the lake.

(b) Duck: to move quickly to a place, especially in order not to be seen. Example: When the punished students saw the Principal coming, they ducked into the auditorium.

(a) Fair: complexion. Example: Vakare has a fair skin and hair.

(b) Fair: equitable/reasonable. Example: Life may not be fair at times, but we have to learn to keep smiling.

(a) Fine: healthy and well. Example: It’s totally fine to get upset at times.

(b) Fine: an amount of money that has to be paid as a punishment for not obeying a rule or law. Example: He had to pay the fine for not parking his car at the right place.

(a) General: affecting or concerning all or most people or things. Example: The Government has issued a warning keeping the general interest of public in mind.

(b) General: considering or including only the main features or elements of something; not exact or detailed. Example: The ideas were explained in general terms.

(a) Kind: type, sort. Example: What kind of people you respect?

(b) Kind: caring. generous, helpful, and thinking about other people’s feelings. Example: When I was hospitalized my Aunt has been very kind to me.

(a) Left: on or towards the side of your body that is to the west when you are facing north/ direction. Example: Most of the people use their right hand to write, but there are also people who write with their let hand.

(b) Left: past participle of leave (to forsake). Example: She left him as he was a hypocrite person.

(a) Letter: a written message from one person to another. Example: Whenever you feel lonely and broken-hearted write a letter to God.

(b) Letter: symbol. / any of the set of symbols used to write a language. Example: There are 26 letters in English.

(a) Light: not heavy. Example: We can carry this bag as it is very light.

(b) Light: brightness. Example: He gets up when the light of the Sun falls on his face.

(a) Lie: to tell a falsehood. Example: Some people are habitual of telling lies.

(b) Lie: to place or put. Example: The papers were lying on the floor.

(a) Match: a stick for making a flame. Example: Since the lighter is not working, we have to use match sticks.

(b) Match: alike. Example: We always seek friends with whom our qualities match.

(a) Mean: selfish. Example: He never helps anyone, he is really mean.

(b) Mean: to perceive. Example: What do you mean when you say that “God is an illusion.”

(a) Order: the arrangement or disposition of people or things in relation to each other according to a particular sequence. Example: Keep the papers in right order to avoid confusion.

(b) Order: command/instruction. Example: We must obey the orders of teachers.

(a) Park: a large public garden. Example: Let’s play in the park.

(b) Park: bring a vehicle (that one is driving) to a halt and leave it temporarily. Example: Don’t park your vehicles outside the door.

(a) Right: morally good or acceptable. Example: We must keep doing right and leave the rest aside.

(b) Right: true or correct as a fact. Example: If you give right answers, you score good marks.

(a) Rose: a flower. Example: I like yellow roses. Which one you like: Red, Yellow or Orange?

(b) Rose: to have gotten up. Example: He rose when it was too late to reach the office.

Written by Monica
WabsTalk Team