fallacy of ambiguity

The fallacy of ambiguity occurs when a statement or argument is unclear because it uses words or phrases that have multiple meanings. This can cause confusion or make an argument seem stronger than it truly is. For example, if someone says "All banks are banks," they might be referring to financial institutions and riverbanks, which are very different concepts. This ambiguity can be intentionally or unintentionally used to mislead or obscure the real point. Recognizing this fallacy involves paying attention to words that could have more than one meaning and considering whether the meaning changes in different contexts.