Which term describes two words that sound alike and are spelled alike but have different meanings?

Which term describes two words that sound alike and are spelled alike but have different meanings?

• A. Homonyms
• B. Synonyms
• C. Antonyms
• D. Alliteration

Answer: (A)

The concept here is identifying a word relationship where two words look and sound the same but carry different meanings. That relationship is called homonyms. Imagine bat as the animal and bat as the sports implement—both share the same spelling and pronunciation, yet they mean very different things. Synonyms are words with similar meanings, like large and big. Antonyms are opposite meanings, like hot and cold. Alliteration isn’t about word meaning at all—it’s a sound pattern where the same initial consonant sound repeats, as in “Peter Piper.”

The concept here is identifying a word relationship where two words look and sound the same but carry different meanings. That relationship is called homonyms. Imagine bat as the animal and bat as the sports implement—both share the same spelling and pronunciation, yet they mean very different things.

Synonyms are words with similar meanings, like large and big. Antonyms are opposite meanings, like hot and cold. Alliteration isn’t about word meaning at all—it’s a sound pattern where the same initial consonant sound repeats, as in “Peter Piper.”