SSAT Elementary Level Verbal : Homonyms

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Elementary Level Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Homonyms

Blue is to blew as . . .

Possible Answers:

electricity is to refrigerator

buy is to bye

river is to water

green is to grass

whiskers are to cat

Correct answer:

buy is to bye

Explanation:

Since "blue" is pronounced in exactly the same way as "blew," the two words are called homonyms. We need to find another answer choice in which the two words are also homonyms. Because "buy" is pronounced in exactly the same way as "bye," they are homonyms and the correct answer is "buy is to bye." 

Example Question #1 : Homonyms

Red is to read as hare is to

Possible Answers:

oxygen

heir

none of the other answers

here

hair

Correct answer:

hair

Explanation:

Red and read are homonyms just as hare and hair are homonyms. 

Example Question #2 : Homonyms

Bat is to batt as week is to

Possible Answers:

wake

work

none of the other answers

weak

woke

Correct answer:

weak

Explanation:

Both sets of words are homonyms.  

Example Question #2 : Homonyms

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Aid is to aide as site is to __________.

Possible Answers:

assist 

anage

love 

cite 

help

Correct answer:

cite 

Explanation:

"Aid" and "aide" are two words that sound the same, but mean different things. "Aid" means help, and an "aide" is an assistant. When two words sound the same but have different meanings, we call them homonyms. Which of these answer choices sounds most like "site"? The correct answer is “cite.” "Site," which means location, is a homonym of "cite," which means quote.

Example Question #1 : Homonyms

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Sale is to sail as weigh is to __________.

Possible Answers:

Sell

Way

Vend

Demand

Measure 

Correct answer:

Way

Explanation:

"Sale" and "sail" are homonyms, so to solve this analogy, you have to find the word that sounds most like "weigh." The correct answer is “way.”

Example Question #1 : Homonyms

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Some is to sum as plain is to __________.

Possible Answers:

add

bare 

fly 

plane 

many 

Correct answer:

plane 

Explanation:

"Some" and "sum" are two words that sound the same, but mean different things. So, they are homonyms. To solve this analogy, you have to find the answer choice that sounds like "plain." "Plain" and "plane" are homonyms, so "plane" is the correct answer.

Example Question #2 : Homonyms

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Weak is to week as meat is to __________.

Possible Answers:

introduce 

strong 

meet 

pork 

shy 

Correct answer:

meet 

Explanation:

"Weak" and "week" are two words that sound the same, but mean something different. So, they are homonyms. Which answer choice sounds the same as meat? The correct answer is “meet.” Meet and meat are also homonyms.

Example Question #3 : Homonyms

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Pour is to poor as weight is to __________.

Possible Answers:

dense 

wait 

rich 

scale

heavy 

Correct answer:

wait 

Explanation:

"Pour" is a homonym of "poor"; homonyms are words that sound the same, but have different meanings. So, to solve this analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice that sounds the same as "weight." The only word that sounds like weight is “wait," so "wait" is the correct answer.

Example Question #7 : Homonyms

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Eight is to ate as ___________.

Possible Answers:

sew is to so

dinner is to seven

door is to handle

queen is to king

song is to lyric

Correct answer:

sew is to so

Explanation:

"Eight" and "ate" are homophones, or words that are pronounced the same, but have different meanings. So, we are looking for an answer that has a pair of homophones. Thus, the best answer is "sew is to so"!

Example Question #4 : Homonyms

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Hear is to here as __________

Possible Answers:

card is to cord

look is to book

card is to deck

read is to reed

tour is to torn

Correct answer:

read is to reed

Explanation:

"Hear" and "here" are homophones, or words that are pronounced the same, but have different meanings. So, we are looking for an answer that has a pair of homophones. Thus, the best answer is "read is to reed"!

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