1. ate, eight
ate (verb): This is the simple past tense of the verb “to eat.”
I ate an entire pizza and now I’m really full and tired.
eight (noun): The number after seven and before nine.
Charles will wake up at eight o’clock tomorrow morning.
Interesting note: There is a popular children’s joke that goes like this:
Q: Why was 6 afraid of 7?
A: Because 7 ate 9.
Yes, it’s pronounced “because 7 8 9,” and yes, it’s a pretty bad joke. But most kids’ jokes are bad.
2. bare, bear
bare (adjective): If something is bare, it means that it’s not covered or not decorated.
Tom likes to walk around his house in bare feet. He says it’s more comfortable than wearing shoes.
bear (noun): A large mammal.
When you go camping, you should be careful to not leave any food or anything with a scent in your tent because they can attract bears.
Interesting note: Bears are often popular characters in stories and cartoons.
3. buy, by, bye
to buy (verb): A synonym of “to purchase.” It’s probably one of the first verbs you learned.
I forgot my money at home. Do you think you could buy me lunch and I’ll pay you back tomorrow?
by (preposition): This can be used in many different ways. It’s commonly used to mean “next to” or “near” when describing a location. It can also indicate who created something.
My favorite autobiography is “The Autobiography of Malcolm X.” It’s written by Malcolm X and Alex Haley.
bye (exclamation): This is a shortening of “goodbye.”
I’ve got to go now, so bye! See you on Sunday!
Interesting note: This is a set of three homophones, but you could also possibly include the prefix “bi-.” It means “two,” as in “bipedal” (something that uses two legs), but it can also be an adjective as an abbreviation for “bisexual.” So if you include “bi,” then this can actually be a set of four homophones!
4. cell, sell
cell (noun): A cell is a small area or room, usually in a prison. A cell can also be one of the smallest divisions of a living organism.
The prisoner spent 10 years in his cell.
to sell (verb): To exchange a product or service for money. Like “buy,” it was probably one of the first verbs you learned.
We would like to sell our car, but we don’t think we’d get very much money for it.
Interesting note: Monks (men) and nuns (women) are two groups of religious people who live in monasteries or convents. Their rooms are also called “cells,” and they actually do look a bit similar to a prison cell!
5. dew, do, due
dew (noun): Dew is the name for small drops of water that accumulate (gather) on plants and other objects outside during the night.
When I went outside early in the morning, the dew on the grass made my shoes wet.
to do (verb): This common verb is used to indicate an action. It can also be an auxiliary verb.
What do
