A
homograph (from the ,
homós, "same" and γράφω,
gráphō, "write") is a
word that shares the same written form as another word but has a different meaning. However, some dictionaries insist that the words must also sound differently, while the
Oxford English Dictionary says that the words should also be of "different origin". In this vein,
The Oxford Guide to Practical Lexicography lists various types of homographs, including those in which the words are discriminated by being in a different
word class, such as
hit, the verb
to strike, and
hit the noun
a blow.