Reading Comprehension Related

Review Reading Comprehension related questions and content

Homonyms: English is a vibrant, changing, dynamic language. It allows people to express their thoughts in diverse ways, as there are many synonyms and antonyms to choose from. The hardest part for the English speaker—or those learning English as a second language—

is learning about homonyms. These are words that sound alike but are spelled different ways, with different meanings.
One example is 'Our'. This word, spelled 'one' means the numeral 1, an amount. If spelled 'won,' it means to be victorious. Now words spelling is a difficult skill to master.
Other homonyms encountered by the beginning English speaker are 'To, two, too,' 'four, for, fore,' 'there, their, they're' and 'son, sun' to name just a few. This is one reason that 'spell check' programs on word processing computers cannot be completely accurate, because the way a word is spelled depends on the context of the sentence. Proofreaders will always be in demand.

How does the article define 'Homonyms'?

  • A. English words that have their etiology from Latin.
  • B. Words that have opposite meanings.
  • C. Words that mean the same, or nearly the same; interchangeable.
  • D. Words that sound alike but are spelled different ways with different meanings.
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Words that sound alike but are spelled different ways with different meanings. The rationale is that the article explicitly states that homonyms are words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings. This definition aligns perfectly with option D.

Choice A is incorrect because homonyms are not defined by their etymology or origin from Latin. Choice B is incorrect because homonyms are not words that have opposite meanings; words with opposite meanings are known as antonyms. Choice C is incorrect because homonyms are not words that mean the same or nearly the same; that would be synonyms.