Sound and Sense, 83

We’re moving next to the homophone: a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as heir and air. So … contronyms are words that have contradictory meanings (sanctiion = approve and disapprove; homophones sound alike but to not mean the same—and often are not spelled the same, either.

1. gored (verb): past tense of gore—to pierce or wound with something pointed (as a horn or knife)

2. gourd (noun): any one of several types of fruits that have a hard shell and that are used for decoration and not for eating; slang—the human head/brain

He must have been out of his gourd

To order that exotic sword.

He fell upon it—and was gored.

So just remember: It’s not bright

To buy a weapon for a knight:

It almost never turns out right.

It's better, when you're feeling bored,

To buy and carve and fill a gourd

With beer, and, once it's poured,

Enjoy yourself.