Homonyms

Today I sent an essay to a friend to look over before I turned it in because, well, it's important enough to make sure I did make any stupid glaring errors. I got a half a page of  notes mostly about how I'm a huge over-user of the comma (I do love a extra-long convoluted sentence, the more clauses the better!). But I received praise over the use of ensure instead of insure.

I have to admit there are homonyms that baffle me but that is not one of them. I have a BA in English and I would like to think that that makes me a bit smarter (with English words) than the average bear. I wanted to scream when I read his note, for Pete's sake he's a civil engineer (though a closet editor, he chose the wrong  parent's career to emulate) and I'm the English major. (Wouldn't it be nice if I had an appropriate title to juxtapose with his?)(Wouldn't it be totally awesome I stopped using parenthetical clauses?)

The point is there are words that sound alike and mean different things. 

Peak, peek and pique: use them correctly and you'll get a gold star.
Read and red: usually they're ok.
Principal and principle: there is a rule and I don't remember it past a headmaster and a law.
Affect and effect: it's one they teach to kids in school because it's sticky, but easy sticky.
Baste and based: the difference  is easy but I missed it in a spelling bee for not asking for a definition.

There are so many. So very, very many. And I love them. I actually discussed them in an interview once, though my love of homonyms might have been the reason they never ever called me back after that interview (rude) I was told that I might be too creative during that interview (what is too creative?).

Oh homonyms. How I love thee and love that I knew how to spell thee (homonym not thee, that hurt that you didn't think I could spell thee, I'm not that bad.)