Of all the four seasons, autumn is my favorite time of year.  As summer fades and temperatures become cooler, the leaves of trees undergo magnificent color changes and offer spectacular views during walks out of doors.

BUT WAIT A MINUTE!  Did I just say “leaves”?  Doesn’t this word mean “to go out of or away from,” as in the sentence “Tomorrow, he leaves for Tokyo.”? 

Yes, it does, but “leaves” is also the plural form of the word “leaf”, meaning one of the flat, usually green parts of a plant. This is yet another example of a class of English words called homonyms (words that look or sound identical but have very different meanings).  If you find such words confusing as you study English, don’t feel alone!  Homonyms can drive even native English speakers absolutely crazy.

Even something as simple as an initial capital letter can distinguish the different meanings of a homonym. Take the word “polish” for example”

1.       John was born in Poland. Therefore, he is Polish ( the vowel “o” pronounced with a “long” sound).

2.      The silver plate is tarnished, so I must polish it (the vowel “o” pronounced with a “short” sound). 

Linguists have all sorts of technical names for the various types of homonyms (capitonym, polyseme, heteronym, etc.), but it isn’t important that you know these terms.  What IS important is your ability to use English homonyms correctly in the context of your speech and writing.  The following website was constructed by the makers of the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and contains further information about homonyms:

https://ielts.idp.com/prepare/article-homophones-homographs-homonyms#homonyms

Also, I teach specific courses about homonyms through my Cafetalk offering “Personal Special-Use English”.  I recommend you first enroll in my free “English Counseling Lesson” so that we can discuss your personal needs and preferences.

Most importantly, be positive and don't become discouraged - your mastery of homonyms is certainly within reach!

Art