Polysemy in English: Meaning, Key Features, and Contexts

No.

Original words

Meaning

Examples of polysemy words in English

1

Bank

/bæŋk/

(noun)

an organization where people and businesses can invest or borrow money, change it to foreign money, etc., or a building where these services are offered

I need to go to the bank to deposit some money.

sloping raised land, especially along the sides of a river

We had a picnic on the bank of the river.

2

Bat

/bæt/

(noun)

a small animal like a mouse with wings that flies at night

A bat flew into the cave.

a specially shaped piece of wood used for hitting the ball in some games

He swung the bat and hit a home run.

3

Bark

/bɑːrk/

the hard outer covering of a tree (noun)

The bark of the tree is very rough.

to make the loud, short noise that a dog and some other animals make (verb)

The dog began to bark loudly.

4

Bow

/baʊ/ or /boʊ/

to bend your head or body forward, especially as a way of showing someone respect or expressing thanks to people who have watched you perform (verb)

He bowed before the queen.

a weapon for shooting arrows, made of a long, thin piece of wood or fiberglass bent into a curve by a tightly stretched string (noun)

She aimed her bow and released the arrow.

5

Current

/ˈkɜːrant/

a movement of water, air, or electricity in a particular direction (noun)

The current is very strong in this river.

of the present time (adjective)

The current situation is quite challenging.

6

Date

/deɪt/

a numbered day in a month, often given with a combination of the name of the day, the month, and the year (noun)

What is the date today?

to regularly spend time with someone you have a romantic relationship with (verb)

They decided to date each other.

7

Fair

/fer/

treating someone in a way that is right or reasonable, or treating a group of people equally and not allowing personal opinions to influence your judgment (adjective)

The judge made a fair decision.

a large public event where goods are bought and sold, usually from tables that have been specially arranged for the event, and where there is often entertainment (noun)

We went to the fair and had a great time.

8

Fine

/faɪn/

good or good enough; healthy and well (adjective)

She is feeling fine today.

an amount of money that has to be paid as a punishment for not obeying a rule or law (noun)

He had to pay a fine for speeding.

9

Firm

/fɜːrm/

not soft when pressed; solid or strong (adjective)

She has a firm grip on the situation.

a company offering a professional service, for example a company of lawyers (noun)

He works for a law firm.

10

Lie

/laɪ/

to say or write something that is not true in order to deceive someone (verb)

He lied about his age.

to be in or move into a horizontal position on a surface (verb)

I need to lie down for a while.

11

Match

/mætʃ/

a sports competition or event in which two people or teams compete against each other (noun)

The match was very exciting.

a short, thin stick made of wood or cardboard and covered with a special chemical at one end that burns when rubbed firmly against a rough surface (noun)

He struck a match to light the candle.

to be as good as someone or something else; to choose someone or something that is suitable for a particular person, activity, or purpose(verb)

Do you think these two colors match?

12

Nail

/neɪl/

a thin, hard area that covers the upper side of the end of each finger and each toe (noun)

She painted her nails bright red.

a small, thin piece of metal with one pointed end and one flat end that you hit into something with a hammer, especially in order to fasten or join it to something else (noun)

He hammered a nail into the wall.

13

Park

/pɑːrk/

a large area of land with grass and trees, usually surrounded by fences or walls, and specially arranged so that people can walk in it for pleasure or children can play in it (noun)

We had a picnic in the park.

to put a vehicle in a place where it can stay for a period of time, usually while you leave it (verb)

She parked the car near the entrance.

14

Ring

/rɪŋ/

a circular piece of jewelry worn especially on your finger (noun)

He gave her a diamond ring.

to make a phone call to someone(verb)

The phone began to ring.

15

Rock

/rɑːk/

the dry solid part of the earth's surface, or any large piece of this that sticks up out of the ground or the sea (noun)

He threw a rock into the lake.

a type of popular music with a strong, loud beat that is usually played with electric guitars and drums (noun)

She loves listening to rock music.

16

Spring

/sprɪŋ/

the season of the year between winter and summer, lasting from March to June north of the equator, and from September to December south of the equator, when the weather becomes warmer, leaves and plants start to grow again and flowers appear (noun)

Spring is my favorite season.

a piece of curved or bent metal that can be pressed into a smaller space but then returns to its usual shape (noun)

The mattress has a broken spring.

17

Stalk

/stɔːk/

the main stem of a plant, or the narrow stem that joins leaves, flowers, or fruit to the main stem of a plant (noun)

The corn stalks were tall and green.

to follow an animal or person as closely as possible without being seen or heard, usually in order to catch or kill them (verb)

The cat stalked the mouse silently.

18

Tender

/ˈtendər/

gentle, loving, or kind (adjective)

She has a tender heart.

a written or formal offer to supply goods or do a job for an agreed price (noun)

The company won the tender for the project.

19

Tire

/taɪr/

to begin to feel as if you have no energy and want to rest or go to sleep, or to make someone feel this way (verb)

I tire easily after running.

a rubber ring, usually filled with air, that fits around the wheel of a car, bicycle, or other vehicle (noun)

The car needs new tires.

20

Well

/wel/

in a good way, to a high or satisfactory standard (adjective)

I hope you are doing well.

a deep hole in the ground from which you can get water, oil, or gas (noun)

They fetched water from the well.

21

Can

/kæn/

to be able to (modal verb)

Can you help me with this?

a closed metal container, especially cylinder-shaped, in which some types of drink and food are sold (noun)

He drank a can of soda.

22

Case

/keɪs/

(noun)

a particular situation or example of something

In this case, we need more evidence.

a container or box for storing something in

She packed her clothes into the case.

23

Cool

/kuːl/

slightly cold in a pleasant way (adjective)

The evening was cool and pleasant.

fashionable in a way that people admire (adjective)

He looks really cool in those sunglasses.

24

Foot

/fʊt/

(noun)

the part of the body at the bottom of the leg on which a person or animal stands

She injured her foot while hiking.

a unit of measurement, equal to twelve inches or 0.3048 meters, sometimes shown by the symbol

The table is six feet long.

(6 feet = 1.8288 m)

25

Light

/laɪt/

the brightness that comes from the sun, fire, etc. and from electrical devices, and that allows things to be seen (noun)

The room was filled with light.

not weighing a lot (adjective)

The bag is very light.

to start to burn or to make something start to burn (verb)

She lit the candle.

26

Order

/ˈɔːrdər/

to ask for something to be made, supplied, or delivered, especially in a restaurant or shop (verb)

I want to order a pizza.

the way in which people or things are arranged, either in relation to one another or according to a particular characteristic (noun)

The books were in perfect order.

27

Page

/peɪdʒ/

(noun)

a side of one of the pieces of paper in a book, newspaper, or magazine, usually with a number printed on it

Please turn to page 23.

a group of text and images shown together on a computer screen

The page brought a message to the king.

28

Point

/pɔɪnt/

a mark or unit for counting, especially how much a person or team has scored in a sport (noun)

He scored the winning point.

to direct other people's attention to something by holding out your finger towards it (verb)

She pointed to the sky.

29

Second

/ˈsekənd/

a short unit of time that is equal to a 60th of a minute (noun)

There are 60 seconds in a minute.

immediately after the first and before any others (adjective)

He finished in second place.

30

Space

/speɪs/

(noun)

the empty area outside Earth's atmosphere, where the planets and the stars are

Space exploration is fascinating.

an empty area that is available to be used

There is not enough space in the closet.

31

Store

/stɔːr/

a place where you can buy goods (noun)

She went to the grocery store.

to put or keep things in a special place for use in the future (verb)

You can store your files on the cloud.

32

Train

/treɪn/

a railway engine connected to carriages for carrying people or to wheeled containers for carrying goods (noun)

The train arrived on time.

to prepare someone or yourself for a job, activity, or sport, by learning skills and/or by mental or physical exercise (verb)

They trained the new employees.

33

Type

/taɪp/

a particular group of people or things that share similar characteristics and form a smaller division of a larger set (noun)

What type of music do you like?

to write using a machine, either a computer keyboard or a typewriter (verb)

She typed the letter quickly.

34

Wave

/weɪv/

a raised line of water that moves across the surface of an area of water, especially the sea (noun)

The waves were crashing against the shore.

to raise your hand and move it from side to side as a way of greeting someone, telling someone to do something, or adding emphasis to an expression (verb)

He waved goodbye to his friends.

35

Watch

/wɑːtʃ/

a small clock that is worn on a strap around the wrist or, sometimes, connected to a piece of clothing by a chain (noun)

She checked her watch for the time.

to look at something for a period of time, especially something that is changing or moving (verb)

They watched a movie together.

36

Right

/raɪt/

suitable or correct, or as it should be (adjective)

You have the right answer.

the right side (noun)

Turn right at the next intersection.

37

Lead

/liːd/ or /lɛd/

to control a group of people, a country, or a situation (verb)

She will lead the team.

a wire covered in plastic and used to connect electrical equipment to the electricity supply (noun)

Pencils used to be made with lead.

38

Left

/lɛft/

on or towards the side of your body that is to the west when you are facing north (adjective)

She writes with her left hand.

to go away from someone or something, for a short time or permanently (past form of "leave") (verb)

He left the office early.

39

Close

/kloʊs/ or /kloʊz/

to change from being open to not being open, or to cause something to do this (verb)

Please close the door.

having direct family connections or shared beliefs, support, and sympathy (adjective)

They have a close relationship.

40

Minute

/ˈmɪnɪt/ or /maɪˈnjuːt/

one of the 60 parts that an hour is divided into, consisting of 60 seconds (noun)

The meeting will start in five minutes.

extremely small (adjective)

The differences are minute and hardly noticeable.

41

Subject

/ˈsʌbdʒɪkt/ or /səbˈdʒɛkt/

an area of knowledge that is studied in school, college, or university (noun)

Math is his favorite subject.

the thing that is being discussed, considered, or studied (noun)

The subject of the lecture was food.

to defeat people or a country and then control them against their wishes and limit their freedom (verb)

They subjected the captured soldiers to harsh treatment.

42

Letter

/ˈlɛtər/

(noun)

any of the set of symbols used to write a language, representing a sound in the language

A is the first letter of the alphabet.

a written message from one person to another, usually put in an envelope and sent by post

She wrote a letter to her friend.

43

Season

/ˈsiːzən/

one of the four periods of the year; spring, summer, autumn, or winter (noun)

Winter is my favorite season.

to improve the flavour of savoury food by adding salt, herbs, or spices when cooking or preparing it (verb)

He likes to season his food with lots of spices.

44

Deal

/diːl/

an agreement or an arrangement, especially in business (noun)

They made a deal to share the profits.

to give or share out something, especially playing cards (verb)

It's your turn to deal the cards.

45

Sound

/saʊnd/

something that you can hear or that can be heard (noun)

The sound of music filled the room.

to make a noise (verb)

The alarm sounded loudly.

not broken or damaged; healthy; in good condition(adjective)

It's an old building but it's still structurally sound.

46

Tie

/taɪ/

a long, thin piece of material that is worn under a shirt collar, especially by men, and tied in a knot at the front (noun)

He wore a red tie to the interview.

a situation in which two or more people finish at the same time or score the same number of points (noun)

The game ended in a tie.

to fasten together two ends of a piece of string or other long, thin material, or to (cause to) hold together with a long, thin piece of string, material, etc. (verb)

She tied her shoes before running.

47

Board

/bɔːrd/

a thin, flat piece of cut wood or other hard material, often used for a particular purpose (noun)

Write your answer on the board.

the group of people who are responsible for controlling and organizing a company or organization (noun)

The board of directors met yesterday.

to get onto or allow people to get onto a boat, train, or aircraft (verb)

They boarded the plane on time.

48

Capital

/ˈkæp.ə.t̬əl/

a city that is the center of government of a country or smaller political area (noun)

Paris is the capital of France.

money and possessions, especially a large amount of money used for producing more wealth or for starting a new business (finance) (noun)

They need more capital to expand the business.

(of a letter of the alphabet) in the form and larger size that is used at the beginning of sentences and names (adjective)

Start the sentence with a capital letter.

49

Chest

/tʃest/

(noun)

the upper front part of the body of humans and some animals, between the stomach and the neck, containing the heart and lungs

He has a broad chest.

a large, strong box, usually made of wood, used for storing goods or possessions or for moving possessions from one place to another

The treasure was hidden in an old chest.

50

Fall

/fɑːl/

the season after summer and before winter, when fruits and crops become ready to eat and the leaves fall off the trees (noun)

The leaves turn red in the fall.

to suddenly go down onto the ground or towards the ground without intending to or by accident (verb)

Be careful not to fall on the ice.

51

Address

/ˈæd.res/

the number of the house, name of the road, and name of the town where a person lives or works, and where letters can be sent (noun)

I can give you the address of a good attorney.

to give attention to or deal with a matter or problem (verb)

We’ll address that question at the next meeting.

to speak or write to someone (verb)

That letter was addressed to me.

52

Advocate

/ˈæd.və.keɪt/

a lawyer who speaks for or defends someone in a court of law; someone who speaks for, supports, or represents a person or group of people who may need extra help or protection (noun)

She has been the advocate for defendants in many successful libel cases.

to publicly support or suggest an idea, development, or way of doing something (verb)

He advocates the return of capital punishment.

53

Alternate

/ˈɑːl.tɚ.neɪt/

a person or thing that can take the place of another (noun)

A dessert with alternate layers of chocolate and cream.

to happen or exist one after the other repeatedly (verb)

She alternated between cheerfulness and deep despair.

54

Battery

/ˈbæt̬.ɚ.i/

a device that produces electricity to provide power for electronic devices, cars, etc. (noun)

This alarm clock takes two medium-sized batteries.

a number of things of a similar type (noun)

In the kitchen an impressive battery of stainless steel utensils hangs on the wall.

55

Capture /ˈkæp.tʃɚ/

(verb)

to take someone as a prisoner, or to take something into your possession, especially by force

The two soldiers somehow managed to avoid capture.

to represent or describe something very accurately using words or images

The robbery was captured on police video cameras.

56

Certain /ˈsɜː.tən/

knowing that something is true or will happen and having no cause to feel that it may not be true or may not happen; having no doubt (verb)

I'm not certain how much it will cost.

limited (adjective)

I like modern art to a certain extent/degree.

57

Conduct

/kənˈdʌkt/

to organize and perform a particular activity (verb)

We are conducting a survey of consumer attitudes towards organic food.

to behave in a particular way, especially in a public or formal situation, or to organize the way in which you live in a particular way (verb)

You should conduct yourself politely at the meeting.

to lead someone to a particular place (verb)

The protesters were conducted from the courtroom by two police officers.

behavior (noun)

The club has a strict code of conduct.

58

Drop

/drɒp/

a small round-shaped amount of liquid (noun)

A single drop of blood splashed onto the floor.

to move to a lower level (verb)

The water level in the flooded region has finally begun to drop.

to stop including someone in a group or team (verb)

He's been dropped from the team because of injury.

to fall or to allow something to fall (verb)

The apples are beginning to drop from the trees.

59

Sign

/saɪn/

a notice giving information, directions, a warning, etc. (noun)

Headaches may be a sign of stress.

to write your name, usually on a written or printed document, to show that you agree with its contents or have written or created it yourself (verb)

You forgot to sign the check.

Term

Definition

Example

Key Feature

Polysemy

One word form with multiple related meanings

Run: to jog / to manage a business

Meanings are linked conceptually or historically

Homonymy

Identical form (same spelling and/or sound) but with unrelated meanings

Bat (animal) / bat (sports tool)

Same form, but meanings are separate in origin

Homophones

Words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings

Pair / Pear

Not the same word — only phonetically identical

Ambiguity

A word or sentence with more than one possible interpretation in context

She saw the man with the telescope

Can occur at word or sentence level; context-dependent

bark, match, rock, spring, lead

1. bark

2. match

3. rock

4. spring

5. match

6. rock

7. bark

8. lead

9. lead

10. spring