Homophones

Activity type: this is a fun way of developing students’ vocabulary. It is also a way of making sure that students are aware that different spellings in English can result in the same sound.

Level: Intermediate and above


Teacher's notes:

1. Ask the students what a homophone is; they should tell you that they are words that sound the same in English but have different spellings and different meanings.
   
2. Ask them to think of some examples in pairs.
   
3. Once they have done this, listen to their examples.
   
4. Hand out the quiz below to pairs or groups of three. Explain that the students have to answer the clues in order to find out what the homophones are. Tell them to do the quiz as quickly as possible. You could make it a competition.
   
5. At the end of the activity, go over the answers.
   
   

ANSWERS:

1. Eight and ate
   
2. Stare and stair
   
3. Plain and plane
   
4. To and two
   
5. Blew and blue
   
6. Rain and reign
   
7. So and sew
   
8. Seem and seam
   
9. Die and dye
   
10. Be and bee
    
11. Four and for
    
12. Foul and fowl
    
13. No and know
    
14. Tales and tails
    
15. Sale and sail
    
16. Eye and I
    
17. Peace and piece
    
18. Awe and or
    
19. Hi and high
    

QUIZ

1. This is the number before nine and the past of ‘to eat.’
   
2. This is to look at someone in a rude way and what you climb when you want to go to bed.
   
3. Something is this when it is easy to understand or clear and it is a thing that we can travel by.
   
4. Which word is missing: ‘I go _________________ bed at ten usually’ and the number after one.
   
5. The past of something you do at a candle and the color of the sky.
   
6. When this happens you get wet and a King or Queen does this.
   
7. A word that you can sometimes use instead of ‘very’ and something you do when you make clothes.
   
8. Another word for ‘appear’ and a thing that your clothes have.
   
9. We do this when we get very old and it is to change the color of your hair for example.
   
10. “To_________ or not to _____________” – Shakespearean quote and an insect that flies.
    
11. The number after three and the word missing from this sentence: ‘I have been here_____________ four years.
    
12. A football player does this if he hurts another player deliberately and another word for hens.
    
13. The opposite of ‘yes’ and the missing word in the sentence: ‘You __ a lot of English.”
    
14. Another word for ‘stories’ and some animals have them.
    
15. A store has these when things are half price and something you do in a boat.
    
16. We see with this and a pronoun.
    
17. This is a state when there is no fighting and the word missing in this sentence: ”May I have a ___________ of cake please?”
    
18. The missing word in this sentence: ‘I am in _________ of you; I really, really admire you and the missing word in this sentence: ‘Would you like tea_____ coffee?”
    
19. A short word for hello and the opposite of low.