Indeed, a single word can be a playground for the imagination, yet a source of headaches when you need to pin down a concept. Ambiguity keeps the mind agile, but it also blurs the line between meaning and misinterpretation. For a teacher who thrives on clarity, it becomes a double‑edged sword. It’s useful for sparking curiosity, but if you don’t define terms carefully, students might carry misconceptions forward. The key is to acknowledge the fun of ambiguity while anchoring learning with precise, well‑structured definitions.

That’s a great analogy. I’d start with a sentence like “The bank can be a place to deposit money or the edge of a river.” Ask the students to spot both meanings and then point out how context clarifies each one. Keep the sandbox tidy by reminding them to define the word before they play, but let them build their own little castles in the language space.