Homonyms are words that are spelled the same and sound the same but have different meanings.
Here are some examples:
* Bear: (noun) a large, furry mammal, and bear: (verb) to carry or support something
* Bat: (noun) a flying mammal, and bat: (noun) a piece of equipment used in baseball
* Fair: (adjective) just or impartial, and fair: (noun) a gathering of people for entertainment and trade
Homonyms can be tricky because they can sound alike, even though their meanings are very different. To avoid confusion, it's important to pay attention to the context in which a word is used.
There are also homographs and homophones.
Homographs are words that are spelled the same but sound different and have different meanings. For example, "lead" (a metal) and "lead" (to guide).
Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. For example, "there," "their," and "they're."