Which term describes words that are spelled alike but have different definitions and pronunciations?

• A. Homographs
• B. Homonyms
• C. Analogies
• D. Comprehension strategies

Answer: (A)

Words that share the same spelling but carry different meanings (and can even be pronounced differently) are known as homographs. The key idea is that the spelling stays the same while the meanings diverge. A clear example is lead, which can mean to guide (pronounced “leed”) or a metal (pronounced “led”). Those two forms are spelled the same but have different definitions, and the difference in pronunciation is exactly what highlights the separate meanings. In many contexts, when the pronunciations differ, people call those heteronyms, but they’re still part of the broader idea of homographs. The other terms don’t fit as well: homonyms emphasize sounds rather than spelling, analogies are about relationships between pairs of words, and comprehension strategies are about understanding text, not word forms.