In English, there are many words that sound and are spelled the same but have different meanings. These are called homonyms. It may sound confusing, but in this second lesson in the series (the first lesson was back in October), we'll look at some examples to help clarify the differences so that mixing them up can be avoided!

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A good example of a homonym is the different meanings of the noun "bat":

And they'd go in. Skill Cole had a baseball bat. You know they don't play baseball.

And they'd go in. Skill Cole had a baseball bat. You know they don't play baseball.

Caption 28, The Wailers - Talk About the Early Days with Bob Marley

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Well, he'd tell you it was because of that time a bat flew through his window.

Well, he'd tell you it was because of that time a bat flew through his window.

Caption 37, Pop Psych - Batman Goes To Therapy

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Thus "bat" can mean the large wooden stick used in the game of baseball, as well as the flying mammalian species for whom the superhero Batman is named.

I guess you were right, Linus. I shouldn't have picked this little tree.

I guess you were right, Linus. I shouldn't have picked this little tree.

Caption 3, A Charlie Brown Christmas - True Meaning

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Turn left and carry on going until you reach Brushfield Street

Turn left and carry on going until you reach Brushfield Street

and turn right down it.

and turn right down it.

Captions 26-27, Giving Directions - with Lauren and Matt

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In the above, you can see that "right" can mean either "correct" or the direction that is the opposite of "left."

We're putting out special little clips that aren't in the film.

We're putting out special little clips that aren't in the film.

Caption 28, Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World - Electric Playground Interview

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Fill a glass with water and challenge your friends to float a paper clip

Fill a glass with water and challenge your friends to float a paper clip

on top of the liquid. Every time they place something into the glass.

on top of the liquid. Every time they place something into the glass.

Captions 9-10, Richard Wiseman - 10 Bets You Will Always Win

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A "clip" can be a segment of film or video footage, or the small metal object used to hold papers together.

Let's start with the letter "r".

Let's start with the letter "r".

Caption 18, British vs American - English Pronunciation Lesson

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We're going to explore how to write a successful cover letter.

We're going to explore how to write a successful cover letter.

Caption 2, Business English - Cover Letter

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The noun "letter" can thus be referring either to the alphabet or to the piece of paper you write upon to send in the mail.

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Further Learning
To find more instances of homonyms like these, have a look at Yabla English and see if you can find more examples in a real-world context.

Every language has words that standardly go together in stock phrases, also called "collocations." These are word combinations that are preferred by native speakers, and though there are other words that you could use to express the same thing, those other words might sound awkward or odd. For instance, you would usually say "a strong cup of tea." A "powerful cup of tea" or a "robust cup of tea" may have a very similar meaning, they sound odd to the ears of a native speaker. On the positive side, such word pairings sound very "normal," but they could also be criticized as being clichés when they are overused.

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Advice is usually offered or given:

What advice do you give to five-year-old girls who want to be president of the United States?

Captions 15-16, Entertainment Weekly - The Obamas Answer Kids' Adorable Questions - Part 1

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If I was to give them any advice, I think it would be just go for it.

Caption 22, Naish Kiteboarding TV - Snowkiting Ragnarok

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If the advice is heeded, then it is usually said to have been taken: 

I don't know how well I took their advice.

Caption 65, Numberphile - Connect Four

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Homework, the extra studying that you do away from school, is usually done, though your parents or teacher might also ask you if you have finished your homework: 

But you can't do that if you don't study and do your homework.

Caption 49, Entertainment Weekly - The Obamas Answer Kids' Adorable Questions - Part 1

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A risk, which describes doing something that is somehow dangerous, is something that is taken.

Our clients take big risks everyday.

Caption 25, Jump for Opportunity - Official Video

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I decided to take the risk and tell her.

Caption 44, The Apartment - The Date - Part 3

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You could dispatch or relay an email, but the standard expression is for an email to be sent: 

Could you please send me an email?

Caption 51, Business English - Starting on a new job - Part 2

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And then finally, Eric sent me an email.

Caption 43, Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World - Electric Playground Interview - Part 3

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Further Learning
Go to this page and see some other examples of standard English word combinations. Try to generally pay attention to the way words are combined by native English speakers and try to learn these phrases, since many are particularly unique to the language, such as the English phrase "to make up your mind" about something. See if you can find some examples of that phrase on Yabla English.