Homographs:
* Definition: Words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and may or may not have different pronunciations.
* Example:
* "Bat" (a flying mammal) and "bat" (a piece of equipment used in baseball) are homographs. They're spelled the same, but their meanings and pronunciations differ.
* "Bow" (to bend) and "bow" (a weapon) are homographs. They're spelled the same but have different meanings and pronunciations.
Homonyms:
* Definition: Words that sound the same and are spelled the same, but have different meanings. This category is a subset of homographs, meaning all homonyms are also homographs.
* Example:
* "Bat" (a flying mammal) and "bat" (a piece of equipment used in baseball) are homonyms. They are spelled the same, sound the same, but have different meanings.
Homophones:
* Definition: Words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.
* Example:
* "To", "too", and "two" are homophones. They sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.
* "There", "their", and "they're" are homophones. They sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.
In Summary:
* Homographs: Same spelling, different meanings (may or may not have different pronunciations)
* Homonyms: Same spelling, same sound, different meanings (subset of homographs)
* Homophones: Same sound, different spellings, different meanings
Think of it this way:
* Homographs are the broadest category.
* Homonyms are a type of homograph.
* Homophones are a separate category altogether, though they can sometimes overlap with homographs.