Which term describes words that share the same spelling and pronunciation, but have different meanings?

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Multiple Choice

Which term describes words that share the same spelling and pronunciation, but have different meanings?

Explanation:
Words that look the same and sound the same but have different meanings are homonyms. This label focuses on the identical form of the word in spelling and pronunciation while signaling that the senses are distinct. For clarity, homographs are words that are spelled the same (they might be pronounced the same or differently), and homophones are words that sound the same but may be spelled differently. An example is bank, which can mean a financial institution or the side of a river, with the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings. So when a term is described as having both the same spelling and pronunciation yet different meanings, the correct term is homonym.

Words that look the same and sound the same but have different meanings are homonyms. This label focuses on the identical form of the word in spelling and pronunciation while signaling that the senses are distinct. For clarity, homographs are words that are spelled the same (they might be pronounced the same or differently), and homophones are words that sound the same but may be spelled differently. An example is bank, which can mean a financial institution or the side of a river, with the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings. So when a term is described as having both the same spelling and pronunciation yet different meanings, the correct term is homonym.

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