What are polysemous symbols?

A polysemous symbol is like a toy that can mean different things depending on how you play with it.

Imagine your favorite blanket, sometimes it's just a cozy thing to snuggle with, but other times it becomes a superhero cape or a spaceship blanket. That’s what a polysemous symbol does: it has more than one meaning, and which one it uses depends on the situation.

Think of the word "bank." At home, you might say, "I went to the bank to get money," but at school, your friend might say, "The bank of the river is where we play." The same word has two different meanings, one about money and the other about the side of a river. That’s like having one toy that can be a car or a boat.

It's kind of like how your backpack can carry books, snacks, and even your pet hamster on a special day. The symbol (like "bank") is just like your backpack, it can hold different meanings depending on what you need at the moment.