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Homophones: Words That Sound the Same

Third graders learn homophones — words that sound alike but are spelled differently and mean different things, like to/too/two and their/there/they’re — and how to pick the right one by its meaning.

Grade 3Word Meaning50 minutes1 class periodReading WorkshopExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain homophones.
  • ✓Tell apart to/too/two.
  • ✓Tell apart their/there/they’re.
  • ✓Choose by meaning.
Essential Question

“To,” “too,” and “two” all sound EXACTLY the same — but they’re spelled differently and mean different things! How do you know which one to use?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sound-Alike Explorer · Interactive

The Sound-Alike Explorer

Project this and tap each set of homophones. Have students hear that they sound the same but learn what each one means!

👂 Explore homophones — tap each!Try it

The Lesson · Reading Workshop (Mini-Lesson · Practice · Share)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Connect — Same Sound, Different Word

5 min

“To, too, two” — they sound the same, so how are they different?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say to/too/two aloud.
  • Ask how they differ.
  • Set the goal: homophones.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Hear them.
  • Notice the spelling.
  • Predict the idea.
2

Teach — Same Sound, Different Meaning

12 min

Teacher models.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain to/too/two.
  • Explain their/there/they’re.
  • Explain your/you’re.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Learn each set.
  • See the meanings.
  • Say each.
3

Active Engagement — Explore Together

13 min

Class uses the Sound-Alike Explorer.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Tap each set.
  • Match word to meaning.
  • Use it in a sentence.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each set.
  • Match meanings.
  • Use one.
4

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students choose the right word.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Fill in the correct homophone.
  • Explain the meaning.
  • Write a sentence.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Fill in words.
  • Explain them.
  • Write one.
5

Share — Share

5 min

Students share a sentence.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Invite a homophone sentence.
  • Explain the choice.
  • Hand out the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share it.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

CCSS
L.3.2

Demonstrate command of spelling, including commonly confused words.

CCSS
L.3.4

Determine the meaning of words using context.

CCSS
RF.3.3

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills.

CCSS
L.3.1

Demonstrate command of standard English grammar.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Show word + picture for each meaning.
  • Sentence frame: “___ means ___.”
  • Say each homophone aloud.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with to/too/two.
  • Use picture cues.
  • Choose between two words.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Learn more homophone sets.
  • Fix homophone mistakes.
  • Write a homophone story.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🗂️Homophone cards
  • 💻The Sound-Alike Explorer
  • 🖍️Pencils
  • 📚A picture book
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

homophonewords that sound the same, spelled differentlytotoward (go to)tooalso or verytwothe number 2theirbelonging to themtherea placethey’rethey aremeaningwhat a word tells us
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is a homophone?
A word that sounds the same as another but is spelled differently and means something different.
QUESTION 2
Which word means the number: to, too, or two?
Two.
QUESTION 3
Which is correct: “They’re / Their happy”?
They’re (they are happy).

Growing at home? Homophone hunt.

Have families find homophones in books and talk about how to tell them apart by meaning — like to, too, and two. A printable homophone sheet is in the ELA library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 HomophonesFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 HomophonesQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ HomophonesPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: homophone, meaning, their, there, they’re, to, too, two
  1. the number 2
  2. toward (go to)
  3. a place
  4. belonging to them
  5. words that sound the same, spelled differently
  6. they are
  7. what a word tells us
  8. also or very

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a homophone?
  2. Which word means the number: to, too, or two?
  3. Which is correct: “They’re / Their happy”?
Answer key — Part A: 1) two · 2) to · 3) there · 4) their · 5) homophone · 6) they’re · 7) meaning · 8) too
Part B: 1) A word that sounds the same as another but is spelled differently and means something different. 2) Two. 3) They’re (they are happy).