What is the term for words that are spelled the same but have different meanings?

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Words that are spelled the same but have different meanings are called homographs.

Homographs share a written form while representing different meanings. Some are pronounced alike, such as “bear,” meaning an animal or to carry, while others have different pronunciations. “Lead” can refer to a metal or mean to guide; “wind” can mean moving air or the act of turning something; and “minute” can mean sixty seconds or extremely small.

When identically spelled words also have different pronunciations, they are often called heteronyms or heterophones. “Sow,” meaning to plant seeds, differs in pronunciation from “sow,” meaning an adult female pig. When homographs share both spelling and pronunciation but have different meanings, they are also homophones and may be described as homonyms.

This terminology can vary among dictionaries. Some authorities use “homograph” broadly for any words with the same spelling and different meanings, while others reserve it for pairs with different pronunciations. That is why “homograph” is the best general answer to this quiz question, whereas “homophone” focuses on sound rather than spelling.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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