Which term denotes a word with multiple related meanings?

• A. Polysemy
• B. Homonym
• C. Diphthong
• D. Utterance

Answer: (A)

Polysemy is when a single word has multiple related meanings. That fits perfectly here because it captures the idea that one form can carry different senses that are linked by a common thread, depending on context. For instance, a word like mouth can mean the opening in a face, the opening at the end of a river, or the opening of a bottle; these senses all revolve around the idea of an entry or opening, just in different situations. The important point is that the senses are connected, not completely unrelated.

A homonym, by contrast, would involve words that happen to share spelling and pronunciation but have meanings that aren’t related. A diphthong is about a vowel sound formed by combining two vowels, a phonetic feature rather than a meaning issue. An utterance is simply a spoken statement, not a label for how a word can have multiple meanings.