English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate (Unit 82: Homophones and homographs)


Homophones and homographs are at the root of many jokes in English. Match the first part of each of these children’s jokes with the second part and then explain the play on words involved in each.

1 What do you get if you cross a sheep and a kangaroo? a Let’s play draughts.
2 What did the south wind say to the north wind? b A drum takes a lot of beating.
3 Why did the man take his pencil to bed? c A woolly jumper.
4 Why is history the sweetest lesson? d He wanted to draw the curtains.
5 What’s the best birthday present? e Because it’s full of dates.

  1. This plays on two meanings of jumper - a sweater and a person or animal that jumps.
  2. This is a play on words on the two meanings of draughts. One is the game played with round counters and a chess board and the other is a current of air as in ‘There’s a terrible draught coming from under the door.’
  3. This is a play on words on two meanings of draw. The first means make a picture and the second means pull.
  4. This is a play on words on the meanings of dates. One refers to years such as 1966; the other to a sweet fruit from a kind of palm tree or to an evening spent together by two people (usually romantic).
  5. This is a play on words on two meanings of beating. A drummer beats a drum. There is also the expression ‘takes a lot of beating’ which means ‘is hard to improve on’.

Exercise-82.3 Exercise-82.5


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