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6 Exciting Homonym Activities to Keep Kids Engaged

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Homonyms can be a tricky concept for students to grasp, but with the right activities and resources, they can become experts in no time! From games to worksheets, there are plenty of creative ways to make learning about homonyms fun and engaging for your students. Discover some of the best ideas and resources here.

Homonym Activities for Kids

What are homonyms?

Homonyms are words that have the same pronunciation or spelling but have different meanings. They can create confusion and ambiguity in language, as they sound or look alike but convey distinct concepts.

  1. Homonyms can be categorized into two main types:
    homophones
  2. homographs

Homophones: These are words that are pronounced the same but may have different spellings and meanings. Examples include:

  • “Two” and “too”: Two refers to the number 2, while too means “also” or “excessively.”
  • “Their,” “there,” and “they’re”: Their indicates possession, there refers to a place, and they’re is a contraction of “they are.”
  • “Flour” and “flower”: Flour is a powdery substance used in baking, while a flower is a plant’s reproductive structure.

Homographs: These are words that have the same spelling but can have different pronunciations and meanings. Examples include:

  • “Bow”: It can refer to a knot tied with two loops or to bend forward. These have different pronunciations but the same spelling.
  • “Lead”: It can be pronounced as “led” (past tense of lead) or “leed” (a soft, heavy metal).
  • “Tear”: It can be pronounced as “teer” (a drop of liquid from the eyes) or “tair” (to rip or shred).

Understanding the context and using clues from the surrounding words or sentences is important to interpret the intended meaning of homonyms correctly.

Homonyms List

  1. bat, bat
  2. band, band
  3. rock, rock
  4. clip, clip
  5. date, date
  6. fly, fly
  7. point, point
  8. scale, scale
  9. pitcher, pitcher
  10. ruler, ruler
  11. bark, bark
  12. watch, watch
  13. wave, wave
  14. ship, ship
  15. mouse, mouse
  16. pen, pen
  17. chest, chest
  18. bow, bow
  19. trunk, trunk
  20. bank, bank
  21. chip, chip
  22. ring, ring
  23. duck, duck
  24. file, file
  25. tie, tie
  26. left, left
  27. palm, palm
  28. great, grate
  29. cell, sell
  30. pole, poll
  31. pear, pair
  32. buy, bye
  33. beat, beet
  34. flour, flower
  35. bury, berry
  36. sale, sail
  37. chili, chilly
  38. board, bored
  39. ate, eight
  40. blue, blew
  41. plane, plain
  42. scent, cent
  43. rose, rows
  44. hair, hare
  45. mail, male
  46. bear, bare
  47. see, sea
  48. son, sun
  49. doe, dough
  50. one, won
  51. meet, meat
  52. toe, tow
  53. wait, weight
  54. medal, metal
  55. right, write
  56. fur, fir
  57. peace, piece
  58. peak, peek
  59. rays, raise
  60. stare, stair
  61. tea, tee
  62. reed, read
  63. waist, waste
  64. rain, rein
  65. i, eye
  66. dear, deer
  67. feat, feet
  68. forth, fourth
  69. hole, whole
  70. hear, here
  71. groan, grown
  72. so, sew
  73. hall, haul
  74. be, bee
  75. knight, night
  76. no, know
  77. new, knew
  78. brake, break
  79. flu, flew
  80. ore, oar
  81. wail, whale
  82. through, threw
  83. sore, soar
  84. knead, need
  85. hi, high

Download the list by clicking on the image below:

#1 – Homonym Match-Up Game

One fun activity to help students learn about homonyms is the Homonym Match-Up Game. Create cards with homonyms on them (e.g. “flower” and “flour”) and have students match them up.

You can also make it more challenging by including multiple sets of homonyms and having students match them all up correctly. This game is a great way to reinforce the concept of homonyms while also improving memory and concentration skills.

#2 – Homonym Scavenger Hunt

Another fun activity to teach homonyms is a scavenger hunt. Create a list of homonyms and have students search for objects that represent each word on the list. For example, if the list includes “bear” and “bare,” students could find a teddy bear and a bare tree branch.

This activity encourages creativity and critical thinking while also reinforcing the concept of homonyms. You can also make it a competition by seeing which team can find all the objects on the list first.

#3 – Homonym Clip Cards

This educational resource combines the Montessori approach with the study of homonyms, making language learning engaging and interactive.

This unique set of clip cards is specially designed to help students master homonyms, a vital aspect of grammar and vocabulary. With vibrant images and carefully selected homonyms, these cards provide an exciting opportunity for students to explore the world of words and expand their language skills.

Each card features a beautiful image of a homonym and two name options for the homonym. The child’s job is to clip (or circle with a dry-erase marker) the appropriate homonym to match the image, making it easy for students to grasp the concept and distinguish between different meanings.

#4 – Homonym Pictionary

Homonym Pictionary is a fun and interactive way to reinforce the concept of homonyms. Divide the class into teams and give each team a list of homonyms. One member of each team will draw a picture of one of the homonyms while their team tries to guess which homonym it represents.

For example, if the homonym is “flower” and “flour,” the student could draw a picture of a flower and a bag of flour. This activity encourages teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking while also reinforcing the concept of homonyms.

#5 – Homonym Crossword Puzzle

Another great activity to reinforce homonyms is a crossword puzzle. Create a crossword puzzle with homonyms as clues and have students fill in the correct homonym in the corresponding boxes.

Download a FREE Homonym Crossword Puzzle Here

This activity not only reinforces the concept of homonyms but also helps with spelling and vocabulary. You can find pre-made homonym crossword puzzles online or create your own using a crossword puzzle maker tool.

#6 – Homonym Charades

Homonym charades are a fun and interactive way to reinforce homonyms in the classroom. Divide the class into teams and give each team a list of homonyms. One student from each team will act out one of the homonyms while their team tries to guess which homonym they are acting out.

This activity not only reinforces homonyms but also encourages teamwork and communication skills. You can find pre-made homonym lists online or create your own based on the level and age of your students.

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