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Primary English · Year 3Chapter 1 · Spelling patterns
Year 3 English · Spelling patterns · Lesson 1.6

Year 3 English: Homophones and near-homophones

Part of the Year 3 English spelling patterns chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

1.6

Homophones and near-homophones

Year 3
Choose the right homophone or near-homophone by its meaning, Spell pairs such as except and accept, and meet and meat
Story. Sam is writing a letter to his gran about the picnic. He wants every word to be right, because some words sound the same but mean different things.

A homophone sounds the same as another word, but has a different spelling and meaning.

A near-homophone sounds almost the same. Here, the word that you choose depends on its meaning.

Read the sentence and ask: what does the gap need? Then choose the word that means that.

WordMeaningWordMeaning
exceptnot includingacceptto say yes to
affectto change, or have an effect oneffecta result
whosebelonging to which personwho’swho is
meetto come togethermeatfood from an animal
Pairs of homophones and near-homophones, with their meanings.

Key ideas

  • Choose by meaning, not by how the word sounds.
  • Except means not including; accept means to say yes to something.
  • Whose means belonging to which person; who’s means who is.
  • Meet means to come together; meat is food from an animal.
Worked example 1.6.1
Everyone came to the party   Ben, who was ill.
Choose: except (not including; leaving out) or accept (to say yes to something).

Method. Choose the word by its meaning, not by how it sounds.

  1. Read the sentence. Think about what the gap means.
    Everyone came to the party ___ Ben, who was ill.
  2. Match the meaning. The word that fits has this meaning.
    except means not including; leaving out
  3. Check the other word. Put it in the gap. Does it still mean the same?
    accept (to say yes to something) does not fit this meaning
  4. Write the answer.
    except

Check. Read the sentence with except in the gap. ✓

Watch out. Homophones sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Choose by meaning.

Worked example 1.6.2
We will   at the park after school.
Choose: meet (to come together with someone) or meat (food from an animal).

Method. Choose the word by its meaning, not by how it sounds.

  1. Read the sentence. Think about what the gap means.
    We will ___ at the park after school.
  2. Match the meaning. The word that fits has this meaning.
    meet means to come together with someone
  3. Check the other word. Put it in the gap. Does it still mean the same?
    meat (food from an animal) does not fit this meaning
  4. Write the answer.
    meet

Check. Read the sentence with meet in the gap. ✓

Watch out. Homophones sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Choose by meaning.

Worked example 1.6.3
The postman brings the   to our door.
Choose: mail (letters and parcels sent by post) or male (a boy or a man, not a girl or a woman).

Method. Choose the word by its meaning, not by how it sounds.

  1. Read the sentence. Think about what the gap means.
    The postman brings the ___ to our door.
  2. Match the meaning. The word that fits has this meaning.
    mail means letters and parcels sent by post
  3. Check the other word. Put it in the gap. Does it still mean the same?
    male (a boy or a man, not a girl or a woman) does not fit this meaning
  4. Write the answer.
    mail

Check. Read the sentence with mail in the gap. ✓

Watch out. Homophones sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Choose by meaning.

Watch out

Watch out: a homophone sounds right, but the meaning must fit the sentence. Check the meaning every time.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Read each sentence aloud and ask your child what the gap needs. Then point to the word that means that. Keep a list of pairs on the fridge.

Exercise 1F  Practice: homophones and near-homophones

1
FChoose the right word in each sentence, by its meaning.
(a)Everyone came to the party   Ben, who was ill.
Choose: except (not including; leaving out) or accept (to say yes to something).
(b)The heavy rain will   our picnic.
Choose: affect (to change something, or have an influence on it) or effect (a result of something that happens).
(c)We will   the seed in the soil.
Choose: bury (to put something under the ground) or berry (a small, juicy fruit).
(d)Please pay the bus   at the front.
Choose: fare (the money you pay to travel) or fair (just and equal; or a funfair).
2
FChoose the right word in each sentence, by its meaning.
(a)Mum will   the cheese for the pizza.
Choose: great (very big, or very good) or grate (to rub food into small pieces).
(b)The small cut will   in a few days.
Choose: heal (to get better and become whole again) or heel (the back part of your foot).
(c)Tie a tight   in the rope.
Choose: knot (a tight loop tied in string or rope) or not (a word that means no).
(d)The postman brings the   to our door.
Choose: mail (letters and parcels sent by post) or male (a boy or a man, not a girl or a woman).
3
FChoose the right word in each sentence, by its meaning.
(a)The   road into town is closed.
Choose: main (the biggest or most important) or mane (the long hair on a horse’s neck).
(b)Ali   the bus this morning, so he walked.
Choose: missed (did not catch, or did not hit) or mist (a thin fog that hangs in the air).
(c)Please give me a   of that cake.
Choose: peace (calm and quiet, with no fighting) or piece (a bit or part of something).
(d)The   flew high over the hills.
Choose: plain (simple, not fancy or decorated) or plane (a flying machine with wings).
4
FChoose the right word in each sentence, by its meaning.
(a)I do not know   it will rain today.
Choose: weather (what the sky and air are like) or whether (if, or to ask which of two things).
(b)Do you know   coat this is?
Choose: who’s (who is) or whose (belonging to which person).
(c)We will   at the park after school.
Choose: meet (to come together with someone) or meat (food from an animal).
(d)Have you   the new film at the cinema?
Choose: seen (looked at with your eyes) or scene (a part of a play or film, or a view).
5
RAli says that peace and piece must mean the same, because they sound the same. Is he right? Explain.
6
PSSam writes We will meat at the park. Write the sentence correctly.
7
PSMia writes The grate sea is blue. Write the sentence correctly.
8
RBen says that whose and who’s mean the same. Is he right? Explain.
9
FWhich word means calm and quiet, with no fighting: peace or piece?
10
PSWrite one sentence with missed, and one with mist.
11
RWrite two sentences, one with main and one with mane, so that the meanings are clear.

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