Polysemic Words an Adventure for Anyone Building a Vocabulary

by Michele A. Bitencourt 

It's very common in English for one word to have many different meanings. For this condition of having more than one or multiple meanings, the words are identified as polysemic words. 

The Polysemic words could be divided into two categories: words with different meanings and words not just with different meanings , but with opposite meanings too.

First, I will mention the category that relates the words with different meanings.

For example the word "set", it's a simple word, but you will find at least 57 meanings as a noun and over 120 meanings as a verb.

Second, in speaking about the special group of polysemic words with opposite meaning the example that comes to my mind is the word "sanction". It means to permit, but you can use this word as opposite; to put a sanction on something means: don't permit.

So it is always very important to try to understand the word or the phrase on its context otherwise we will get things wrong all the time.

Certainly, we can find a large number of definitions that can cover a lot of pages in the dictionary for just one simple or complex word, what makes the English Language an extraordinary "world of fun words" for every native or foreign student building a vocabulary. What it will also make hard to anyone to memorize it.

So forget about only memorizing and start to practice! Embark in the adventure of good literature, books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, cartoons, read it, listen to a variety of songs and styles and so on. By making it part of your life you will simple pick up because its all around you!!You will learn not only by repetition but also by osmosis.The more you use and read the words, the better you will become with your words.

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