Homonymy

Homonymy occurs when two or more words share the same spelling and pronunciation but have different meanings. For example, the word "bat" can refer to an animal or a piece of sports equipment. These words are called homonyms. Homonyms can sometimes cause confusion in communication, but context usually clarifies which meaning is intended. Unlike synonyms (different words with similar meanings), homonyms are distinct words that happen to look and sound alike but are unrelated in meaning. Recognizing homonyms helps in understanding language nuances and interpreting words correctly based on the situation.