Polysemy ( or ; from ,
poly-, "many" and ,
sêma, "sign") is the capacity for a
sign (such as a
word,
phrase, or
symbol) to have multiple meanings (that is, multiple
semes or
sememes and thus multiple
senses), usually related by contiguity of
meaning within a
semantic field. It is thus usually regarded as distinct from
homonymy, in which the multiple meanings of a word may be unconnected or unrelated.