Which of the following pairs of homonyms can be used to fill in the blanks most suitably? After realizing their leader had planned to _____ them in the middle of the vast _____, the people refused to follow him any further.
desert, desert
The sentence needs a pair of homonyms – words that sound or look alike but differ in meaning – to fill the two blanks correctly.
The first blank follows “planned to”, so it needs a verb meaning to abandon. That verb is “desert” (stressed on the second syllable), as in to desert one’s followers.
The second blank follows “the vast”, so it needs a noun for a large barren, sandy region. That noun is “desert” (stressed on the first syllable), meaning an arid wasteland.
So both blanks take the spelling “desert”, giving “planned to desert them in the middle of the vast desert”, which is option 4.
The word “dessert” (with a double s) means a sweet dish eaten after a meal and makes no sense in either blank.
Therefore any option containing “dessert” – options 1, 2 and 3 – is incorrect.
Note that “desert” as a verb and “desert” as a noun are homographs spelled the same but pronounced differently, which is the trick the question tests.
The correct pair is desert, desert.
Similar Questions
Which of the following options is NOT one of the meanings of the homonym 'advance'?
Which of the following options is NOT one of the meanings of the homonym 'resolution'?
Which of the following pairs of homonyms can be used to fill in the blanks most suitably?
As his ____ ring slipped from his finger and sank into the pond, a curious ____ paddled over and, mistaking it for food, swallowed it whole.
Pick the correctly used homonym.
Which of the following options is NOT one of the meanings of the homonym 'record'?
Select the sentence containing the homonym of the highlighted word:
He ran a 100-meter dash to the finish line.
Select the sentence containing the homonym of the highlighted word:
She gave him a small wave before leaving.
Which of the following options is not one of the meanings of the homonym 'content'?
Select the sentence containing the homonym of the highlighted word:
The hunters waited patiently for the duck to land.
Which of the following pairs of homonyms can be used to fill in the blanks most suitably?
As the lonely ____ wailed over the lake, the pale ____ rose slowly, casting silver ripples on the water.
Important Questions from Homophones
Fill in the blank with the appropriate homonym :
He left the meeting in a fit of __________ .
Fill in the blank with the appropriate homonym :
A __________ gives us his words of wisdom.
Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word.
Our ______ is a man of ______.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank.
I don't know ______ you would like my suggestion. But the ______ is bad and you shouldn't go out at this time of the night.
Fill in the blank with the appropriate homonym :
He edits a ____________ weekly journal.
