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 ambiguity so quickly that they barely notice it, except in jokes, headlines, or sparse contexts. Eye-tracking and priming experiments reveal the moment-by-moment process of sense selection.

Writers manage ambiguity to avoid confusion or to exploit double meanings deliberately. Natural language processing systems require robust disambiguation modules for search, translation, and dialogue. Lexical ambiguity is pervasive rather than exceptional in ordinary vocabulary.

• Multiple possible meanings for a single word form
• Resolved primarily by surrounding context
• Arises from homonymy or polysemy
• Challenges both human clarity and computer processing