Read the Question carefully and choose the correct option.
‘Homonyms’ are words that_________.
1. are pronounced differently but have the same meaning.
2. refer to both the male and female of the human species.
3. are spelt similarly but have different meanings.
4. refer to people who live in houses with similar structures.
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The correct answer is 3. are spelt similarly but have different meanings because "homonyms" refers to words that are spelled or pronounced the same but have different meanings. Here's why each option is incorrect or irrelevant:
"Are pronounced differently but have the same meaning": This would refer to synonyms or homophones, not homonyms.
"Refer to both the male and female of the human species": This is unrelated to homonyms and doesn't make sense in this context.
"Are spelt similarly but have different meanings": This is the correct definition because homonyms can refer to words like "bat" (a flying animal) and "bat" (used in sports).
"Refer to people who live in houses with similar structures": This is irrelevant and has nothing to do with language or homonyms.
The confusion might be because "homophones" (words pronounced the same but spelled differently) are often conflated with homonyms.
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