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Words are versatile. Every language has words with alternative meanings. In English, words often even extend across word types, thanks to the low amount of declination in the language. However, this can make learning the language tricky. Sometimes, even though a word looks the same, it can have a completely different meaning from what you’re used to. Complicating matters further are English’s elusive spelling rules, as many of the words on this list also have multiple pronunciations for the different meanings. For example, when “content” means “happy,” it’s pronounced “con-TENT,” but when it means “everything inside a container,” it’s pronounced “CON-tent.” Similarly, the first meaning of “attribute” is pronounced “AT-tribute, but the second and third meanings are pronounced “a-TRI-bute.” When it’s the past tense of “mope,” “moped” is pronounced with a silent “e” as normal, but when it means a motorized bike, it’s pronounced “MO-ped,” with the “e” pronounced. What other words have alternative definitions? Enhance your English knowledge with this chart of 49 words with multiple meanings.

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