Exploring vocabulary - Muschla Gary R. 2012
A Lethal creature
Homographs, I
Homographs are words that have the same spelling but different meanings. They have different origins, too. Some homographs also have different pronunciations.
1. yard (n): the area around a house
yard (n): 36 inches
2. close (klōs) (adj): near
close (klōz) (v): to shut
3. desert (de
rt) (n): dry, barren land
desert (di zûrt′) (v): to go away from
4. bear (n): a large mammal
bear (v): to support or carry
5. pitcher (n): a position on a baseball team
pitcher (n): a container for pouring liquid
6. pupil (n): a student
pupil (n): the dark opening in the center of the eye
7. ball (n): a round object
ball (n): a formal dance
8. count (n): a nobleman
count (v): to name numbers in order
9. wind (w
nd) (n): moving air
wind (wīnd) (v): to turn
10. school (n): a place for learning
school (n): a large group of fish
Vocabulary Tip
Homographs that have different pronunciations are also known as heteronyms.
5.1 A Lethal creature
This small amphibian lives in the rain forests of Colombia, a country in South America. It is extremely poisonous. What is the name of this animal?
To answer the question, match each definition on the left with the correct homograph on the right. Write the letter of the homograph in the space above its definition number at the bottom of the page. Some letters are provided.
