The words steals, steels, steles sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Why do steals, steels, steles sound the same even though they are completely different words?
The answer is simple: steals, steels, steles are homophones of the English language.
To take (the property of another) without right or permission.
To present or use (someone else's words or ideas) as one's own.
To get or take secretly or artfully: steal a look at a diary; steal the puck from an opponent.
To give or enjoy (a kiss) that is unexpected or unnoticed.
A generally hard, strong, durable, malleable alloy of iron and carbon, usually containing between 0.2 and 1.5 percent carbon, often with other constituents such as manganese, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, copper, tungsten, cobalt, or silicon, depending on the desired alloy properties, and widely used as a structural material.
Something, such as a sword, that is made of steel.
A quality suggestive of this alloy, especially a hard, unflinching character.
Steel gray.
Plural form of stele.
Definitions from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition, from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License and Wordnik.
Homophones (literally "same sound") are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of how they are spelled.
If they are spelled the same then they are also homographs (and homonyms); if they are spelled differently then they are also heterographs (literally "different writing").