Many English words have multiple meanings. This means that the same word, with the same spelling and pronunciation may have more than one meaning. Sometimes the meanings may be very different. This can be confusing for people learning English. You may wonder,” How do I know what the meaning is?” The best way is rely on context, illustrations, or diagrams in the text. However, if you still are not sure of the meaning, look it up. A dictionary will tell you all the meanings of any word. This posting cannot discuss every word with multiple meanings. There are simply too many of them. In this posting, however, I talk about 25 common words with multiple meanings. These are word you may see and hear in your daily life. I show you parts of speech, definitions, and example sentences for each meaning of each word.The download at the end will give you additional practice understanding words with multiple meanings.
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Below is a list of common words with multiple meanings.
B
- bank
2. bark
3. bill
4. break
5. bug
C
6. charge
7. company
8. current
D-H
9. date
10. fair
11. fast
12. fly
13. hit
J-N
14. jam
15. left
16. mine
17. nail
P-R
18. patient
19. pool
20. pupil
21. run
S-T
22. season
23. set
24. take
25. turn
You now know many common English words with multiple meanings. Often you can guess the meaning of the word through context. If that is not helpful, however, don’t hesitate to look the word up. The download will give you additional practice understanding words with multiple meanings.
You can download the practice sheet NOW!
Idioms of the day
- no picnic–This means something is difficult and not pleasant. I’m glad I moved, but making all the preparations was no picnic.
- turn a blind eye to–This means to not notice a very obvious problem. Her husband comes home drunk every night, but she turns a blind eye to his problems. She insists that he’s not an alcoholic.
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Ever chat to your friend about baking bread, and you’re both confused between needing some flour and kneading some flour because neither of you has provided further context? That’s an example of homonymy, words with different meanings but pronounced and/or spelt the same. The definition of homonymy is rather broad, as it covers both the pronunciation and the spelling. , which we will explain further with some examples and comparisons to other lexically ambiguous words!
Homonymy meaning
What is the meaning of homonymy? When two or more words are homonyms, these words are pronounced and/or spelt the same, but their meanings aren’t related to each other. Because of these multiple meanings, if a homonymous word is used with little context, it can cause lexical ambiguity (confusion caused by words that have more than one possible meaning).
Look at these examples of homonymy and find one word that they all have in common and think about its meaning in each sentence:
- Do you have a rubber band?
- My band is performing tonight.
- We band every bird to track their movements.
Fig. 1 — Band can refer to rubber bands.
Fig. 2 — Band can refer to a rock band.
Each sentence above uses the word band. There is nothing that connects the three different meanings of band except for the spelling and pronunciation. Therefore, the word band is a homonym in each case.
Study tip: For words to be classified as homonyms, they need to meet two criteria:
Have different meanings, e.g. meaning 1 and meaning 2.
Be pronounced the same, spelt the same, or both.
Homonymy pronunciation
In case you were unsure as to how to pronounce the word ‘homonymy’, it is pronounced like this:
Huh-mon-uh-mee.
Homonymy examples
Some other examples of homonymy are:
Address:
- Your essay fails to address the main issue. = give attention to a problem (verb)
- What is your address? = a location (noun)
Park:
- You can’t park your car here. = to leave a vehicle somewhere for some time (verb).
- Are you heading to the park now? = a public place with fields and trees (noun).
Tender:
- After the accident, he needs some tender loving care. = gentle (adjective).
- Your firm submitted the lowest tender. = a formal offer to supply goods or do work at a stated price (noun).
Skirt:
- Every night she rocks her baby to sleep. = to move backwards and forwards (verb).
- Yesterday’s storm forced the ship onto the rocks. = a mass of rock standing in the sea (noun).
Rose:
- Someone left you a rose. = a type of flower (noun).
- The price rose significantly last month. = to increase (verb — the past form of ‘rise’).
Types of homonymy
Homonymy can be further subdivided into more specific types that only concern either spelling or pronunciation. These are called homophones and homographs respectively.
Fig 3 — Homonyms can be further broken down into homophones and homographs.
Homophones
Homophones are words that have different meanings and spellings but are pronounced the same. Some examples of homophones are:
Meat — meet
- Sorry, I don’t eat meat. (noun)
- Let’s meet again tomorrow! (verb)
Sun-son
- The sun is hiding behind the clouds. (noun)
- My son is going to university next year. (noun)
Plain — plane
- I like your idea. It’s plain and simple. (adjective)
- The plane is having some problems at the moment. (noun)
Homographs
Homographs are words that have different meanings and pronunciations but are spelt the same. Some examples of homographs are:
Record
- / ˈRekɔːd / — noun: She has a criminal record for drink driving.
- / rɪˈkɔːd / — verb: Our family always record every birthday party on video.
Bow
- / bəʊ / — noun: She aimed her bow slowly.
- / baʊ / — verb: He had to bow to the Queen.
Desert
- / ˈDezət / — noun: They travelled through the desert for days without water.
- / dɪˈzɜːt / — verb: He chose to desert his family.
Study tip: If you’re not sure how a word should be pronounced correctly, go to your favourite dictionary website. There you can find recordings of standard pronunciations.
Homonyms in literature
In literature, homonymy is usually used to create rhythmic effects or multiple meanings that often cause:
-
Ambiguity
When homonyms (including homophones and homographs) are used without a concrete reference, it can lead to lexical ambiguity. For example:
Do you know how to hold a bat?
Without context, it isn’t clear whether the sentence refers to the animal or a baseball bat.
-
Pun
A pun is a literary device that plays on words using two identical or similar sounding words with different and/or contradictory meanings. The first meaning is usually quite reasonable, while the secondary meaning is less sensitive.
For example:
Therefore I lie with her, and she with me,
And in our faults by lies we flattered be.
— Shakespeare, ‘Sonnet 138′, (1609).
The first lie means ‘lying down’ and the second means ‘an untrue statement’. The two words reflect the sonnet’s main theme which is about two lovers whose relationship is coloured by lies. However, instead of confronting the untruths, they decide to do nothing and enjoy what they have.
-
Shrewdness / humorous effects
Homonym wordplay is more effective in spoken communication than in writing because the humorous effects are more pronounced when the spelling is not defined. However, if the homonyms are cleverly constructed, they can produce some witty results.
- Waiter, will the pancakes be long? — No, sir, round
- What did the chess piece say before bed? — Knight knight
- What is ice cream’s favorite day of the week? — Sundae
Have a look at some examples of homonyms, homophones, and homographs used in literature:
Homonym example
Example 1: Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet (1597), Act 1 Scene 4.
MERCUTIO
Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance.
ROMEO
Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes
With nimble soles. I have a soul of lead
So stakes me to the ground I cannot move.
MERCUTIO
You are a lover; borrow Cupid’s wings,
And soar with them above a common (1) bound.
ROMEO
I am too sore empierced with his shaft
To soar with his light feathers, and so (2) bound,
I cannot (3) bound a pitch above dull woe;
Under love’s heavy burden do I sink.
In this excerpt, you can see that the word bound is used three times with different meanings but the same pronunciation and spelling (homonyms).
- (1) bound = the rest of the people
Mercutio suggests Romeo should dance, but he says no. Mercutio responds by saying “borrow Cupid’s wings and you’ll be able to soar above us”.
- (2) bound = constrained; and,
- (3) bound = leap. Romeo still refuses Mercutio’s suggestion and here he replies, I’m too sore after being hit by the Cupid’s arrow to soar with his light feather. I’m being constrained by this love. I can’t leap.
This example shows that homonyms can cause multiple interpretations/ambiguity which can affect the perception of the reader/audience. Shakespeare loved to use puns in his plays and sonnets. Puns can provoke thought, clarify or explain something, entertain the audience, or a combination of these.
Homophones examples
Example 2: Shakespeare, Henry VI (1591), Part 2 Act 1 Scene 1
WARWICK
Unto the main! O father, Maine is lost; (1)
That Maine which by main force Warwick did win, (2)
And would have kept so long as breath did last!
Main chance, father, you meant; but I meant Maine, (3)
Which I will win from France, or else be slain
Shakespeare uses the combination of main — Maine several times in this excerpt from Henry VI. These are homophones. Warwick repeats the word main as a transitional means (sound unit) to redefine Maine, the French county. Then, he adds meant (a variant of main — Maine) in between the last homophonic pair (3).
Reading the text may not cause ambiguity since you can read the words and know exactly what each word means. However, if you watch the play or only hear this wordplay, it may cause some confusion.
Important to note: Keep in mind that language is constantly changing, and so is pronunciation. What were homophones in the 16-17th century (when Shakespeare was writing), may not be homophones now, and vice versa. Modern pronunciation can prevent the audience from experiencing the language as Shakespeare intended it. That is why in 2004, the Globe Theater changed the pronunciation of Shakespeare’s play to its ‘original pronunciation’.
Homophone and homonym
Example 3: Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland (1865).
‘How is bread made?’
‘I know that!’ Alice cried eagerly. ‘You take some flour ─’
‘Where do you pick the flower?’ the white queen asked. ‘In the garden or in the hedges?’
‘Well, it isn’t picked at all’ Alice explained; it’s ground ─ ‘
‘How many acres of ground?’ said the White Queen.
The words flour — flower are homophones because they’re pronounced the same but written differently. Of course, to make bread we need flour, not flower, but by playing with words in this way, Carroll provides some comical impressions of the characters.
The words ground — ground are homonyms because they’re pronounced and written the same but have different meanings. The first ground refers to ‘the surface of the earth’, while the second one means ‘an area of land’.
Like the previous examples, this piece from Alice in Wonderland shows that homonymy can be humorous, but at the same time, can cause ambiguity.
Important to note: To decide whether a pair of words are homophones, you need to check their pronunciation. However, this can be tricky as different individuals may pronounce things differently depending on their background (regional accents, sociolects, etc.). Homophonic words are then determined by the standard pronunciation. If you’re not sure how a word is pronounced in Standard English, go to your favourite dictionary and listen to the pronunciation recordings.
What is the difference between homonymy and polysemy?
If you read or hear two words that are written or pronounced the same but have different meanings, they are likely to be either an example of homonymy or polysemy. Deciding what kind of relationship the two words have can be challenging, but not once you understand the differences between these terms.
Homonyms:
- Are words with different meanings but with the same pronunciation and/or spelling.
- Are listed under multiple dictionary entries.
- Can be verb-noun combination: to address — an address, to rock — a rock, to park — a park.
Polysemies:
- Refers to a word with multiple meanings.
- Are listed under a single dictionary entry.
- Must stem from the same word class, eg noun-noun: mouse (an animal — computer device), wings (parts of birds for flying — a building section), beam (a line of light — a piece of wood).
Homonymy vs. polysemy example
Let’s take the word rose.
First, analyze the multiple meanings and word class. Rose has two meanings (unrelated) and two different word classes:
- a flower (noun) and,
- past form of rise (verb).
Second, if the words have multiple forms (multiple entries in a dictionary), eg a verb and noun, they are homonyms. If the two words stem from a single form (one entry in a dictionary), eg a verb or noun, they are polysemies. The word rose has two word forms: a noun and a verb. Thus, rose is a homonym.
Third, check if the different meanings are related. The two meanings of rose (‘a flower’ and ‘the past form of rise’) are not related. This further proves that rose is a homonym.
On the other hand, the word bank (‘of a river’ and ‘a financial institution’) is an example of polysemy because it only has one form (noun) and both meanings are related. Take a look at the diagram below for visual aid.
Fig. 4 — Homonymy deals with unrelated meanings, whereas polysemy deals with related meanings.
From the diagram, we can conclude that both homonymous and polysemic words have multiple meanings, but what distinguishes them is the number of forms the words have and the relation between the different meanings:
- Homonymy: multiple forms (several dictionary entries) and unrelated meanings.
- Polysemy: a single form (one dictionary entry) and related meanings.
Homonymy — Key takeaways
- Homonymy defines words with different meanings but with the same pronunciation and/or spelling.
- Homonymy is the broad term for homophones and homographs.
- Homophones are words with different meanings but the same pronunciation, while homographs are words with different meanings and pronunciations but the same spelling.
- Homonyms are usually used to create rhythmic effects and multiple meanings which may cause ambiguity, puncture, and shrewdness or humorous effects.
- Homonymy differs from polysemy — polysemy refers to words with several related meanings but listed under one dictionary entry.
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Every language has words that look and sound the same but mean different things. Russian is no exception: many Russian words have two or even more different meanings.
Click to enlarge the image. Drawing by Niyaz Karim
The most frequently cited examples of homonyms in the
Russian language are the words kosa (коса) and klyuch (ключ)
The word kosa means a braid and also, in another
meaning, a scythe. Hence the comic play on words in the expression devushka
s kosoi (девушка с косой), which can mean both a young woman with braided
hair and the Grim Reaper. In addition, kosa also means a spit of land
sticking out into the sea.
Klyuch means a key that you
use to open and close the door but also a key to a cipher (klyuch ot shifra,
ключ от шифра), a clue, and a clef (e.g. a skripichny klyuch (скрипичный
ключ) is a treble clef). It also forms part of the Russian word for a spanner, gayechny klyuch (гаечный
ключ).
The adjective klyuchevoi (ключевой) is used in the same sense as
the English ‘key’ in key element, key player, key moment, etc. In a separate
meaning, a klyuch is also a spring, a source of clean, fresh, cool
water.
The word mat (мат) has three completely different
meanings. First, it is the chess term checkmate. Second, a mat, especially a
gym mat (gimnastichesky mat, гимнастический мат). Third, and most commonly
these days, it is foul language, swear words.
Under a new Russian law that came into effect on July 1, the
use of foul language is banned on television, in films, books, in the media, as
well as in the theater and other public performances. The boundaries of what
constitutes foul language are quite blurred (some words are considered more
acceptable than others).
The debate of what should fall under «the
banned» foul language has been going on for a long time. At present,
experts have concluded that the ban should cover four basic roots (rude names
for male and female genitals, sexual intercourse and a prostitute) and all of
their derivatives.
The word klass (класс) in Russian has approximately
the same wealth of meanings as «class» in English. In a school or
university, it means a classroom and a group of students who study together, as
well as the entire cohort of students in a particular grade.
In another sense,
it means a level of quality, as in first-class, second-class, third-class. In
yet another meaning, a class is a division of people in society according to
their social status, e.g. working class, middle class.
The word post (пост) has until recently been used in
two senses: the place where a soldier, guard or other person has been told to
remain (as in guard post, storozhevoi post (сторожевой пост), which
later evolved into meaning a position in a company or organization, usually one
that involves responsibility.
The other meaning of the word is religious: a
fast (the derivative verb is postitsya (поститься). In recent years, the
word post has developed a new meaning that is to do with the advent of
blogs and social network sites. It has even created a new verb, zapostit
(запостить), meaning to post something on the internet.
Another word that has acquired an additional meaning as a
result of borrowing from English is luk (лук). Traditionally, luk
had two distinct meanings in Russian: an onion and a bow (as in a bow and arrows).
Recently, in youth slang it has begun to be used in the sense of a person’s
looks.
The word val (вал) has even more meanings. It can
mean an earthen wall, hence the names of some old streets in Moscow, e.g. Zemlyanoi
Val (Земляной вал) or Koroviy Val (Коровий вал). At sea, a val is a big
wave (e.g. a famous painting by great Russian seascape artist Ivan Aivazovsky
is called Devyatiy Val (“Девятый вал»).
It also means a shaft, as
in a drive shaft. Finally, in economics, it means the gross output of a
company, an industry or a country as whole.
Read more: The 10 most well-known Russian words>>>
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