The fallacy of equivocation refers to the use of an ambiguous word or phrase in more than one sense within the same argument. Because this change in meaning occurs without warning, it renders the argument invalid or even misleading.
The fallacy of equivocation involves using an ambiguous word or phrase whose meaning changes throughout the argument. This can be due to:
The speaker deliberately shifts from the literal to the figurative meaning of a word. For example, "brilliant" means "reflecting light," but also "intelligent.".
A word has several meanings (a phenomenon called polysemy) and the correct interpretation lies in the context. The word "bank", for example, can refer to either a river bank or a financial institution.
A word sounds like another word (for example, they are homonyms) because they share the same pronunciation or spelling. For example, the word "lies" sounds the same as the word "lice," but they have very different meanings.
People sometimes make the mistake of using ambiguity to achieve a comedic effect (that is, to create a pun). In other cases, they may be trying to conceal the truth or avoid committing to a point of view. Whether the speaker is aware of the ambiguity or not, it remains a mistake.
Although we often make the fallacy of equivocation without realizing it, these types of arguments are misleading and are best avoided. here are some questions you can ask to identify this error in your own arguments and those of others: