Contextual Meaning

As per Cambridge dictionary, “It is impossible to understand the nuances of an isolated word without some contextual clues”. So, an isolated word can have many meanings. We need the context in which it is used to infer the correct meaning. For example, we have a word ‘present’. It has different meanings in different contexts; such as

1] The witness is present in the court. [to be in a particular place]

2] On his retirement, Mr. Joseph received many presents. [gifts]

3] In the present situation, I cannot help you. [currently]

4] The doctor will arrive presently. [in a very short time]

5] The anchor presented the new actress to the audience. [introduced]

Similarly, we have a word ‘turn’. It also has different meanings in different contexts; such as

1] Turn to the left at the railway crossing. [change direction]

2] She turns 16 on 10th January. [attains a particular age]

3] It’s your turn. [chance/number]

4] He turned to Islam while working in Saudi Arabia. [converted]

5] Don’t turn on the light. [switch]

In the same manner, we have several words in the English language which imply different meanings depending on the context in which they are used. We need to take a look at the sentence, phrase or clause before getting to its meaning.