Polysemy

Polysemy
refers to a single word with more than one

meaning . The multiple meanings are listed under one entry in a
dictionary . For example, the word dish has multiple meanings, but
they're all under one entry (as a noun) in a dictionary:
Dish (noun)
 It's your turn to wash the dishes = a kind of plate.

 How long does it take to cook this dish? = a meal.
Both meanings of dish imply some kind of 'food being

served'. They're related by sense but have different definitions.
Another example of a polysemous word is wing:

Wing (noun)
 One of the bird's wings is broken = parts of a bird for flying.

 The hospital is building a new wing = a new part of a building.
Again, both meanings refer to 'a section that sticks out from the main
body'. The definitions are different but related to each other.
What is Polysemy?
The term polysemy comes from the Greek words poly and sēma
which together mean 'many signs'. The opposite of polysemy is
monosemy. Monosemy is when one word has only one meaning.
Polysemy is related to homonymy (one word that has multiple
meanings but is pronounced and / or spelled the same). Additionally,
because polysemous words have more than one meaning, they can
cause lexical ambiguity. This can happen when someone hears /
reads something without the same frame of reference or contextual
information as the speaker / writer. For example, 'Let's go to
the bank !' isn't clear. Does this mean 'a river bank' or 'a financial
institution'?
What are some examples of Polysemy?
Take a look at the sentences below and find one word that they all
have in common:
1. He has served his time in prison.
2. The free food is served for homeless people only.
3. This old bike has served me well.
4. The new mall will serve the community well.
5. My mom served in the medical corps.
All five sentences use the same verb serve. Although each sentence
carries a different sense of serve, they all imply the same meaning
of 'giving service':
1. He has served his time in prison → spend some time (in

prison).
2. The free food is served for homeless people only → provide.
3. This old bike has served me well → be useful.
4. The new mall will serve the community well → provide.
5. My mom serves in the medical corps → work as.
Some other examples of polysemy include:
 Verb: get - receive, bring, move / travel.

 Noun: bank - of a river / canal, a place to deposit money, a
slope.
 Adjective: light - colors, not heavy, not serious.
Important to know: One fundamental characteristic of polysemous

words is that all the different meanings are associated in related
senses. Because of this, polysemous words often have denotative
and connotative meanings. For instance:
 Head: of a body (denotative) and the person at the top of a

company (connotative).
 Bright: shining (denotative) and intelligent (connotative).
 Run: to move fast on foot (denotative) and manage
(connotative).
What is the difference between polysemy and homonymy?
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 polysemy or homonymy. Deciding what kind of
relationship the two words have can be challenging, but not once
you understand the differences between these terms.
Polysemies
 Refer 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 -
part of a building), beam (a line of light - a piece of wood).
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.
Study tip: Homonyms is a broad term and can be distinguished from:
 homographs: words that have different meanings and

pronunciation but written the same, eg, lead (verb) and lead
(noun), and
 homophones: words that have different meanings and
spellings but pronounced the same, eg, write, right, and rite.
Polysemy vs. homonymy
Let's say you have the word address.

First, analyze the multiple meanings and word class. Address has
two meanings and two different word classes:
 to speak to (verb) and,

 a location (noun).
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 address has two word
forms: a verb and a noun. Thus, address is a homonym.
Third, check if the different meanings are related. The two meanings
of address ('to speak to' and 'a location') are not related. This further
proves that address is a homonym.
By contrast, the word bright ('shining' and 'intelligent') is an example
of polysemy because it only has one form (adjective) and both
meanings are related. Take a look at the diagram below.
Polysemy and Homonymy
There are, however, some words that are both example of polysemy
and homonymy, such as date.
 date (noun) means 'a fruit', 'a particular day', and 'a romantic
meeting' → polysemy 1
 date (verb) means 'to write a particular day' and 'to have a
romantic meeting' → polysemy 2
 This means date (noun) and date (verb) are homonyms.
Polysemy vs. hyponymy
 From the perspective of polysemy, house mouse and field

mouse aren't the two different meanings of mouse. Both types
of mouse refer to one thing, the animal.
 From the perspective of hyponymy, mouse the computer

device isn't a kind of mouse. It is a mouse (the connotative
meaning of mouse = polysemy).
Computer mouse, pixaby.com Field mouse, pixaby.com
Based on these two different concepts, we can conclude that:

Bring me the mouse!
 Polysemy: can cause misunderstanding. Does it refer to the

animal mouse or the computer device?
 Hyponymy: doesn't cause misunderstanding. It clearly refers
to the animal mouse and not the other meaning of mouse, eg
the computer device
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Polysemy

refers to a single word with more than one

 It's your turn to wash the dishes = a kind of plate.

Both meanings of dish imply some kind of 'food being

Another example of a polysemous word is wing:

 One of the bird's wings is broken = parts of a bird for flying.

What are some examples of Polysemy?

1. He has served his time in prison → spend some time (in

Some other examples of polysemy include:

 Verb: get - receive, bring, move / travel.

Important to know: One fundamental characteristic of polysemous

 Head: of a body (denotative) and the person at the top of a

What is the difference between polysemy and homonymy?

 Refer to a word with multiple meanings.

 Are words with different meanings but with the same

Study tip: Homonyms is a broad term and can be distinguished from:

 homographs: words that have different meanings and

Polysemy vs. homonymy

Let's say you have the word address.

 to speak to (verb) and,

Polysemy and Homonymy

Polysemy vs. hyponymy

 From the perspective of polysemy, house mouse and field

 From the perspective of hyponymy, mouse the computer

Computer mouse, pixaby.com Field mouse, pixaby.com

Based on these two different concepts, we can conclude that:

 Polysemy: can cause misunderstanding. Does it refer to the

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