Homophones: Revision of Common Word Pairs (KS3)

English Quiz - Homophones 03 (Questions)

Homophones sound alike but mean different things. In KS3 English, choose the correct word by checking sentence meaning, grammar role, and context.

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Fascinating Fact:

Principal and principle are a tricky pair, the principal violinist leads the section, a principle is a rule or belief.

In KS3 English, homophones appear often in reading and writing. You’ll reduce mistakes by matching the word’s meaning to the sentence, checking its grammar role, and using quick memory tricks.

Key Terms

Homophone: Words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings, e.g., to, too, and two.
Context: The surrounding words and ideas that help you decide which spelling and meaning are correct.
Mnemonic: A short memory aid, like “the principal is your pal,” to remember which word to choose.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is the difference between principal and principle?

Principal is a noun or adjective meaning “most important” (the school principal, principal dancer). Principle is a noun meaning a rule, law, or belief.

How can I remember tricky homophones for KS3?

Use mnemonics and context checks. For example, “the principal is your pal” and “I will cite a source for the website site I saw with my sight.

What are common homophone mistakes in school writing?

Frequent mix-ups include their/there/they’re, your/you’re, to/too/two, its/it’s, hear/here, and whether/weather. Check meaning before spelling.

Try These Related Quizzes

Which word means "A crowd"?

[ ]	Heard
[ ]	Hoard
[ ]	Hoarding
[ ]	Horde

Which one carries blood?

[ ]	Vain
[ ]	Vane
[ ]	Vanguard
[ ]	Vein

Which one is part of the mouth?

[ ]	Palate
[ ]	Palette
[ ]	Pallet
[ ]	Palliate

Which one means "advice"?

[ ]	Council
[ ]	Counsel
[ ]	Countenance
[ ]	Counteract

Which one means "To gain"?

[ ]	Proffer
[ ]	Profit
[ ]	Profuse
[ ]	Prophet

Which one is a herb?

[ ]	Tame
[ ]	Thames
[ ]	Thyme
[ ]	Time

Which word means "To sell"?

[ ]	Pedagogue
[ ]	Pedal
[ ]	Peddle
[ ]	Pedometer

Which word means "An agreement"?

[ ]	Impact
[ ]	Pace
[ ]	Packed
[ ]	Pact

Which word is a structure in the sea?

[ ]	Pare
[ ]	Pear
[ ]	Peer
[ ]	Pier

10.

Which word means "To peel"?

[ ]	Pair
[ ]	Pare
[ ]	Pear
[ ]	Pier

English Quiz - Homophones 03 (Answers)

Which word means "A crowd"?

[ ]	Heard
[ ]	Hoard
[ ]	Hoarding
[x]	Horde

"Hoard" means to collect or store

Which one carries blood?

[ ]	Vain
[ ]	Vane
[ ]	Vanguard
[x]	Vein

A"vane" indicates wind direction whilst "vain" means conceited

Which one is part of the mouth?

[x]	Palate
[ ]	Palette
[ ]	Pallet
[ ]	Palliate

A "palette" is used by an artist for mixing colours

Which one means "advice"?

[ ]	Council
[x]	Counsel
[ ]	Countenance
[ ]	Counteract

A "council" is a committee

Which one means "To gain"?

[ ]	Proffer
[x]	Profit
[ ]	Profuse
[ ]	Prophet

A prophet gives warnings or promises about the future

Which one is a herb?

[ ]	Tame
[ ]	Thames
[x]	Thyme
[ ]	Time

"Time" and "thyme" are rather different in meaning!

Which word means "To sell"?

[ ]	Pedagogue
[ ]	Pedal
[x]	Peddle
[ ]	Pedometer

A "pedal" allows you to control machinery with your foot

Which word means "An agreement"?

[ ]	Impact
[ ]	Pace
[ ]	Packed
[x]	Pact

"Packed" means that a container or other type of space has been filled