Second Grade English: Homographs & Multiple-Meaning Words (bat, bark, row)

Language is full of clever chameleons single words that look identical on the page but transform their meaning completely depending on the sentence in which they appear. These versatile words are known as homographs or multiple-meaning words. The term homograph comes from two Greek roots: homo (meaning same) and graph (meaning written or drawn). In this chapter, you will explore how one written word can hold multiple definitions, learn how to use context clues to determine the intended meaning, and master classic multiple-meaning words like bat, bark, and row.

What Is a Homograph?

A homograph is a word that shares the exact same spelling as another word, letter for letter, but has a different definition and origin.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
|                  THE DUAL IDENTITY OF "BAT"                     |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                                 |
|                           [ B A T ]                             |
|                                |                                |
|             +------------------+------------------+             |
|             |                                     |             |
|       Identity 1:                           Identity 2:         |
|   A winged nocturnal mammal             A wooden club used      |
|   that flies at twilight!               to hit a baseball!      |
|                                                                 |
|   "The brown bat slept upside-down."   "He swung the wooden bat."|
|                                                                 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Identical Spelling, Different Realities

When you see the letters b-a-t, your brain cannot instantly know which definition the author intends until you read the rest of the sentence. If the sentence mentions caves, nighttime, or wings, it is the animal. If the sentence mentions baseball, bases, or home runs, it is the sports equipment!

Spotlight on Master Multiple-Meaning Words

Let us explore several of second grade's most fascinating multiple-meaning words.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
|               MULTIPLE-MEANING WORDS DIRECTORY                  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Word | Meaning A                       | Meaning B             |
+-------+---------------------------------+-----------------------+
|  bark | The rough outer skin of a tree  | The sharp sound a dog |
|       | trunk                           | makes                 |
|  row  | A straight line of objects or   | To paddle a boat with |
|       | seats                           | wooden oars           |
|  ring | A circular band worn on a finger| A clear chime sound   |
|       |                                 | made by a bell        |
|  wave | Moving your hand to say hello   | A crest of water in   |
|       |                                 | the ocean             |
|  fly  | To soar through the air with    | A small black winged  |
|       | wings                           | insect                |
|  fall | To drop down toward the earth   | The autumn season     |
|  seal | A sea mammal that swims well    | To close an envelope  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

The Word "Bark": Trees vs. Canines

Look at the word bark: Meaning A: "The birch tree has smooth white bark." Here, bark is a noun naming plant tissue. Meaning B: "Our watchdog will bark if a stranger knocks." Here, bark is an action verb naming an animal sound.

The Word "Row": Lines vs. Boating

Look at the word row: Meaning A: "The farmer planted a straight row of sweet corn." Here, row means an organized line. Meaning B: "We had to row the small wooden boat across the lake." Here, row means using oars to propel a vessel.

Pronunciation Shifts in Advanced Homographs

While many homographs sound the same (like bat and bark), some advanced homographs actually change their pronunciation! Look at read: "I like to read books" (/riːd/, present) versus "Yesterday I read three chapters" (/rɛd/, past). Look at bow: A hair bow (/boʊ/) versus taking a respectful bow (/baʊ/) on stage!

How to Determine Meaning Using Context

When you encounter a multiple-meaning word in your reading, follow this two-step detective strategy.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
|                 HOMOGRAPH DETECTIVE STRATEGY                    |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Step 1: Check the Surrounding Clue Words                       |
|          What other words live in the sentence?                 |
|          (water, oar -> row means boat; chairs -> row means line)|
|                                                                 |
|  Step 2: Perform the Replacement Test                           |
|          Substitute your definition into the sentence.          |
|          Does it make complete sense?                           |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Read the two sentences below and write down the definition of the word "wave" in each: "A massive wave crashed against the sandy shore." "Maya smiled and gave a gentle wave to her grandmother."

Exercise 2: Write two different sentences using the word "ring" to demonstrate two completely different meanings.

Exercise Solutions

Solution to Exercise 1: In the first sentence, wave means a ridge or swell of moving water in the ocean. In the second sentence, wave means a friendly hand gesture made to greet someone.

Solution to Exercise 2: A student could write: The queen wore a sparkling diamond ring on her finger. I heard the loud telephone ring three times before my father answered it.