A single word form can open more than one interpretation. Lexical ambiguity is uncertainty of meaning that arises when a word has multiple senses, so that context must select the intended reading.

Homonymy and polysemy both create lexical ambiguity, though they differ historically. Hearers usually resolve it so quickly they barely notice, except in jokes, headlines, or sparse contexts. Experiments reveal the moment-by-moment process of sense selection.

Writers manage ambiguity to avoid confusion or to exploit double meanings. Natural language processing needs robust disambiguation for search, translation, and dialogue. Lexical ambiguity is pervasive in ordinary vocabulary.

• Multiple possible meanings for one word form
• Resolved mainly by context
• Arises from homonymy or polysemy
• Challenges human clarity and computer processing