BBC Learning English:words that sound the same, but have different meanings

BBC Learning English:’6 ways to say ‘sorry’ in English

words that sound the same, but have different meanings

‘knew’ or ‘new’?
They sound the same!

How can you identify words that sound the same, but have different meanings? That’s what Marta wants to know.
How to identify words that have the same pronunciation, but they have different meanings?
Understanding these words all depends on the context of the situation. Who are you listening and talking to? And what are they talking about?
Oh wow! A new bike! That’s amazing!
He has a new bike. And the context tells us that he probably means new, rather than knew. Now, we can use the context, but also the grammar.
I can’t see a solution to this at present. At present always means present time, now. We can’t use at present to talk about gifts. I’ve made a longer video with lots more examples, so go to our website and watch that video now. Come on!