EXTRA EXERCISES

UNIT 4: WORD MEANINGS

I. Choose the best answer A, B, C or D
1. Which of the following best describes the definition of meaning?
A. Meaning is unrelated to a word's ability to denote concepts and objects.
B. Meaning is a critical component in enabling a word to denote concepts and objects.
C. Meaning is primarily associated with abstract actions in a word.
D. Meaning is solely responsible for a word's ability to denote real objects.
2. On the first level, the semantic structure of a word is treated as a …………. of meanings.
A. Word B. Central C. Scheme D. System
3. Words having related meanings are called polysemantic words and the ………….is called
polysemy.
A. Phenomenon B. Meaning C. Word D. Representative
4. In understanding the word meaning, context is very important because:
A. Eliminate ambiguities
B. Remove vagueness
C. Supply information omitted through ellipsis
D. All are correct.
5. “Dark" which describes the absence or low level of light is an example of:
A. Word B. Meaning C. Denotation D. Connotation
6. Most of the words in dictionaries have ………….. meanings
A. Only one B. More than one C. More than two D. No
7. Which is metonym in this sentence: “He took to the bottle after his wife's death”
A. He B. The bottle C. His wife D. Death
8. ”Life is not a bed of roses” is an example of:
A. Metaphor B. Metonymy C. Connotation D. Denotation
9. Which can be referred from the concept “Words -> concepts -> things”?
A. Every word can name and refer to things.
B. There is a direct link between words and things.
C. Meaning is something that can be deduced solely from a study of the situation in which speech
is used.
D. There is no immediate relation between "word" and "referent, it is established only through the
concept.
10. Which is the central meaning of “head”?
A. A leader or person in charge of a group, organization, or department.
B. A person's thoughts, ideas, or mental state.
C. The upper part of the human or animal body.
D. A section heading or title that introduces or summarizes content.
11. Which semantic component expresses the conceptual content of the word?
A. Connotation B. Denotation C. Polysemy D. Metonymy
12. Which is referred to words having related meanings?
A. Polysemy B. Metonymy C. Polysemantic words D. Metaphor
13. The way of applying existing words to new objects, new notions belongs to:
A. Linguistic factors
B. Historical or extra-linguistic factors
C. Non-linguistic factors
D. Grammatical factors
14. The dinner cost us twenty pounds per head is an example of:
A. Metaphor B. Polysemy C. Connotation D. Metonymy
15. What relation can be referred from this sentence: “How many glasses did you take at the
party?”
A. Relation between geographical names for the products.
B. Relation between names of inventors and names of inventions.
C. Relation between names of material and the products made of them.
D. Relation between a container and what is contained.
II. Match the words to their definitions
A B
1. Polysemy f a. refers to the literal meaning of a word, the "dictionary
definition“.
2. Connotation g b. the transference based on resemblance or similarity
between two things (phenomena, qualities, etc.).

3. Metaphor b c. the parts of a sentence, paragraph, discourse, etc.,

immediately next to or surrounding a specified word or
passage and determining its exact meaning
4. Semantic structure of the d. can be less or more seen as a components of the word
word. j through which a concept (metal phenomena) is
communicated thus, providing the word with the ability of
denoting real objects, qualities, actions, abstract actions,
…
5. Words -> things e. the transference based on understood association
h (contiguity) or relatedness.
 6. Meaning d f. the existence of several connected meanings within a
word as the result of the development or changes of the
original meaning.

7. Denotation a g. refers to the associations that are connected to a certain

word or the emotional suggestions or all the implications
related to that word.
8. Context c h. Words can name and refer to things.
9. Metonymy e i. There is no immediate relation between “word’ and
“referent”.
10. Words -> concepts -> things i j. the inner form of the word presents a structure

III. Fill in the gaps with a suitable word:

1. There are large numbers of words where it is not possible to see what thing the word refers
to.
2. Some words do have the meanings that are relatively easy to conceptualized, but we certainly
do not have neat visual images corresponding to every word we say.
3. The modern approach to semantics is based on the assumption that the inner form of the word
presents a structure which is called the semantic structure of the word.
4. According to the linear explanation, words do possess a literal meaning, all other meanings are
Merely devived and figurative.
5. When it comes to polysemy and homonymy, context can serve as shields against
misunderstanding.
6. The process of development of a new meaning (or a change of meaning) is traditionally
termed transference
7. In metaphor, the two notions are implicitly related to suggest an identity between them.
8. Metonymy is a type of figurative language in which the name of one thing is replaced with
another commonly associated with it.
9. Experts have agreed that the meaning of words characterized by common occurences are
correlated and, therefore, one of the words within such pair can be studied through the other.
10. Separating denotation from connotation is important because while one might assume that a
word's denotation is fully intended, whether a word's connotations are intended is much
more difficult to determine.
IV. Decide whether the following sentences are True (T) or False (F)
1. Semantics is the study of meaning in language.T
2. Every word has a neat visual image corresponding to the word.F
3. Connotation is the leading or primary semantic component which shows the literal meaning of
the word. F
4. Adding prefixes, suffixes and other words to existing words belongs to linguistic factors of
developing new meanings. T
5. Metonymy is based on the similarity between two things.F
6. Connotative meaning of “snake” is "any of numerous scaly, legless, sometimes venomous
reptiles, having a long, tapering, cylindrical body and found in most tropical and temperate
regions”.F
7. Polysemy is the result of the development or changes of the original meaning.T
8. “He is a wet blanket” is an example of metaphor.T
9. There always has a definite way of deciding which the literal meaning is.F
10. When it comes to polysemy and homonymy, context can serve as shields against
misunderstanding.T
V. Answer these following questions:
1. What is denotation? What is connotation? Give one example ( a single word ) to illustrate.
Give differences between them.
Denotation refers to the literal meaning of a word, the "dictionary definition“.
For example, if you look up the word snake in a dictionary, you will discover that one of its
denotative meanings is "any of numerous scaly, legless, sometimes venomous reptiles, having a
long, tapering, cylindrical body and found in most tropical and temperate regions”
Connotation, on the other hand, refers to the associations that are connected to a certain word or
the emotional suggestions or all the implications related to that word. The connotative meanings
of a word exist together with the denotative meanings. For example, the connotations for the
word snake could include evil or danger.
Let’s illustrate the difference with a simple example.
For example, the word home refers to the place where you live—it could be a house, an
apartment, etc. This is the word’s denotation. For many people, the word home has a
positive connotation—it’s associated with safety, comfort, and a sense of belonging. These
associations and implications make up the word’s connotation.

The denotation of a word or expression is its direct meaning. Its connotation consists of the ideas
or meanings associated with it or suggested by it. For example, the word homework refers to
schoolwork done outside of school—that’s its denotation. For many people, the word has a
negative connotation—meaning that the word itself gives them a bad feeling associated with the
experience of having to do homework when they’d rather be doing something else.
2 . What is metaphor? What is metonymy? Give examples. Give differences between them.

Metaphor is the transference based on resemblance or similarity between two things

(phenomena, qualities, etc.).
for example:” Her eyes were glistening jewels”
Metonymy is the transference based on understood association (contiguity) or relatedness.
For example, Westminster is used as a metonym (an instance of metonymy) for the Government
of the United Kingdom, because it is located there
Key Differences
 Nature of Connection: Metaphor relies on similarity, while metonymy relies on
association.
 Structure: Metaphors create a direct equivalence, whereas metonymy uses a related term
to stand in for something else.

3. Identify the Metaphor or Metonymy:

1. The crown will not be pleased with this decision.
…meto
2. She’s the apple of my eye.
…meta
3. Have you lost your tongue, Jack?
…meto
4. Hollywood is known for making blockbuster movies.
…meto
5. His anger was a volcano about to erupt.
…meta
6. The White House issued a statement today.
…meto
Feature Metonymy Metaphor

Substitution of a word with a closely

Basic Definition Direct comparison between two unlike things
related concept

Link Between
Concrete or tangible connection Conceptual similarity or symbolic connection
Terms

To directly substitute terms without

Purpose To draw an imaginative comparison
comparison

“The White House issued a statement.”

“Time is a thief.” (Equating time with a thief to
Example (referring to the U.S. President or
imply it steals moments)
administration)