Heteronyms Word Lists

Heteronyms, or heterophones, are always pronounced differently. All heteronyms are homographs, but not all homographs are heteronyms. By pairing our heteronym word lists with heteronym and homograph practice games your students will grasp this concept and master these difficult words!

Recognizing homophones is essential to good reading and writing skills. Students begin learning in first grade to identify and use context clues to determine the correct meaning of words that are spelled alike, but have different meanings, and later use a dictionary or rely on memory to use the correct words. With early learners, using images to illustrate how the word meanings differ is effective for memorization.

Common Core State Standards Related to Heteronyms/Homographs

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1.g
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking: Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.4a
Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

CCSS.ELA­-Literacy.L.5.4.a
Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

CCSS.ELA­-Literacy.L.K.4.a
Identify new meanings for familiar words and apply them accurately (e.g., knowing duck is a bird and learning the verb to duck).

Elementary School Heteronym Word Lists:

• List 1: bass, live, present, read, tear, bass, present, read, tear, live
• List 2: bow, lead, produce, record, wind, lead, produce, record, wind, bow
• List 3: close, Mobile, progress, refill, use, close, mobile, progress, refill, use
• List 4: decrease, excuse, graduate, increase, relay, decrease, excuse, graduate, increase, relay
• List 5: desert, house, minute, remake, separate, desert, minute, remake, separate, house
• List 6: dove, project, reprint, rewind, wound, dove, project, reprint, rewind, wound

Middle School Heteronym Word Lists:

• List 1: address, compact, conduct, defense, sow, object, address, compact, conduct, defense, sow, object
• List 2: compound, content, insult, refund, overlook, perfect, compound, content, insult, refund, overlook, perfect
• List 3: associate, contract, duplicate, import, moderate, associate, contract, duplicate, import, moderate
• List 4: abuse, estimate, incline, refuse, overhead, transplant, abuse, estimate, incline, refuse, overhead, transplant
• List 5: combat, complex, conflict, escort, insert, transfer, combat, complex, conflict, escort, insert, transfer
• List 6: compress, polish, coordinate, imprint, intercept, transport, compress, Polish, coordinate, imprint, intercept, transport

High School Heteronym Word Lists:

• List 1: abstract, convict, elaborate, predicate, torment, abstract, convict, elaborate, predicate, torment
• List 2: construct, digest, expose, recount, construct, digest, expose, resent, recount, resent
• List 3: permit, resume, subject, segment, invalid, permit, resume, subject, segment, invalid
• List 4: articulate, deliberate, entrance, micrometer, resign, upset, articulate, deliberate, entrance, micrometer, resign, upset
• List 5: contest, discharge, extract, precipitate, syndicate, contest, discharge, extract, precipitate, syndicate