How to identify the intended meaning of a sentence when a word with different meanings is used in it.
For example, consider this sentence:
"I was tremendously apprehensive"
If taken out of context, it seems hard to tell whether the person meant:
- I was capable of understanding.
- Or, I was anxious.
So, my question is: Is there a general strategy for dealing with such cases? Or, is it impossible to tell the meaning without looking at the broader context? And, if it is the case, are there any heuristics which can be applied in such situations?
Thank you!
For reference, the above sentence is taken from this article: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/10/20/late-bloomers-malcolm-gladwell, where the meaning becomes clear when read in context.