Why do so many terms in our language have more than one meaning?

Question

It frequently seems like words have too many meanings for my child to understand when they are acquiring new vocabulary. How can we determine which contemporary usage of the word is correct?

Context is crucial when using words with various meanings. For instance, you must obtain the bill before discussing how to pay for a lunch at a restaurant. It is obvious from the context that this is a fee or sum of money that must be paid. Of course, it's not a bird's beak! Other words that have more than one meaning, however, have more subtle variations, some of which can be traced back to the word's initial meaning.

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Answer 1

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the answer to your question is "study and experience". Most of us are learning throughout our lives, still getting words wrong, as we do.