HOMONYMS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: CLASSIFICATION, USAGE, AND LEARNING CHALLENGES
Keywords:
homonyms, lexical ambiguity, homophones, homographs, semantics, second language acquisition, vocabulary teaching, English linguisticsAbstract
Homonymy is a fundamental aspect of lexical ambiguity in the English language, reflecting its complex historical development and diverse lexical sources. Homonyms—words that share identical forms while differing in meaning—play a significant role in communication, discourse interpretation, and language learning. This study provides an extensive analysis of homonyms by examining their classification, semantic features, functional usage, and the challenges they present for learners of English as a second or foreign language. Using qualitative and corpus-based approaches, the research identifies patterns of usage and common learner errors associated with homonymy.
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