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Homophones for Writers: Proofreading Sound-Alike Words — Answers

Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 9 homophones worksheet.

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Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheetYear 9 · English · Homophones

Homophones for Writers: Proofreading Sound-Alike Words — Answers

Part A: Choose the homophone

Circle the correct word.

1.Phones are not (answer space) in the exam room.
  1. Aaloud
  2. Ballowed

Answer: allowed

Allowed means permitted (from allow). Aloud means out loud.

2.Please read the poem (answer space).
  1. Aaloud
  2. Ballowed

Answer: aloud

Aloud contains the word loud.

3.Press the (answer space) gently when riding downhill.
  1. Abrake
  2. Bbreak

Answer: brake

A brake slows a vehicle. To break is to smash or pause.

4.The golf (answer space) runs along the river.
  1. Acoarse
  2. Bcourse

Answer: course

A course is a route, a subject of study or part of a meal. Coarse means rough.

5.The sand on this beach is (answer space) and gritty.
  1. Acoarse
  2. Bcourse

Answer: coarse

Coarse means rough in texture.

6.The two countries finally signed a (answer space) treaty.
  1. Apeace
  2. Bpiece

Answer: peace

Peace is the absence of war. Hook: a piece of pie.

7.The farmhouse stood alone on the wide, flat (answer space).
  1. Aplain
  2. Bplane

Answer: plain

A plain is flat land; plain also means simple. A plane is an aircraft (or a flat surface in geometry).

8.The queen's (answer space) lasted more than sixty years.
  1. Arain
  2. Breign
  3. Crein

Answer: reign

A reign is a period of royal rule. A rein is a strap used to guide a horse.

9.In your essay, you must (answer space) your sources.
  1. Asight
  2. Bsite
  3. Ccite

Answer: cite

To cite is to quote or name a source. A site is a location; sight is the ability to see.

10.Throwing away good food is a (answer space) of money.
  1. Awaist
  2. Bwaste

Answer: waste

Waste means to use carelessly. Your waist is the middle of your body.

Part B: Fill the gap

Write the correct word from the parentheses.

11.The rider pulled on the (answer space) to slow the horse. (rain / reign / rein)

Answer: rein

Hook: a rein is held in the rider's hands to guide the horse.

12.Sweat ran from every (answer space) on his face. (pour / pore)

Answer: pore

A pore is a tiny opening in the skin. To pore over something means to study it closely.

13.The builders cleared the (answer space) for the new hospital. (sight / site / cite)

Answer: site

A building site is a place.

14.The view from the summit was a wonderful (answer space). (sight / site / cite)

Answer: sight

Sight relates to seeing.

15.We had soup for the first (answer space) of the meal. (coarse / course)

Answer: course

A course is one part of a meal.

Part C: Proofread

16.This paragraph has six homophone errors. Write each error and its correction. "The heavy reign had stopped by the time we reached the camp sight. Dad said we were aloud to explore, so I walked down the coarse to the lake. The water was so still and plane that it looked like glass. I sat in piece for an hour."

Answer: reign → rain; sight → site; aloud → allowed; coarse → course; plane → plain; piece → peace.

17.Why would a spell-checker miss every error in that paragraph?

Answer: Every wrong word is a real word with a correct spelling, so a spell-checker sees nothing wrong. Only a reader who checks the meaning can catch homophone errors.

Part D: Your turn

18.Your turn: write five sentences, each using both words of a different homophone pair from this worksheet. Underline the homophones. Then write a memory hook for the pair you find hardest.

Model answer: 1. You are not allowed to read the answers aloud. 2. If the brakes fail, the bike could break. 3. The coarse gravel made the cross-country course hard to run. 4. Please leave a piece of cake for me, and leave me in peace while I eat it. 5. I pored over the recipe while Dad poured the milk. Memory hook: you hear something aloud because it is loud.

Success criteria:

  • Five sentences, each using a different homophone pair
  • Both words of each pair used correctly
  • Homophones underlined
  • A sensible memory hook is given
  • Complete, correctly punctuated sentences
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Marking tips

  • Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
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