There is a strange puzzle in the English language — we have many words which have more than one meaning. The meanings are sometimes totally unrelated — how can one word mean two or more different things? For instance, how can lead be a verb meaning to go first and also the name of a heavy metal? How can bear be a noun for a type of animal and also a verb meaning carry?
The answer lies in the fact that English is an invaded language — it has been influenced by many other languages over its long history. Words which now look the same might have come from entirely different sources. Some words might have started from the same source but gradually acquired different shades of meaning between, say, the 13th and 16th centuries.
Another factor is involved. As centuries go by, and different words are coined or adopted from other languages, the way they are pronounced might shift and change in emphasis. An example of this is explained under bear. Here are the brief stories behind nearly 150 of those apparently confusing words which make English such a rich language.
This section gives you the main meanings of many homonyms. It does not list every meaning. The simplified history of most words is explained in brief. There is a HUGE amount of information in this section to enrich your brain, so rummage around!