Can all arabic words have multiple meanings
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Not all but many do have multiple meanings and are defined based on context, and meanings do change if its Modern, Classical, Old or Quranic.
Don't forget the dialects and regions too. Quran is said to be in Hijazi-Quraishi Arabic dialect which is different from the famous Najdi and Faifi dialect.
oddly, none of the Quran recitations today represent how the Quran would have been read in the prophets time. See my post about Quran variants https//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9612363.msg441794;topicseen#msg441794
There are a lot more differences.
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Peace
So because I can't understand Arabic, I am a bit confused. Can or do all Arabic words have multiple meanings? Or just some and not others? Does this differ depending on if it's modern Arabic, classical or Quranic Arabic?
Salam,
In Arabic language, every word is based on a root-word. Just like a plant, every word has only one root-word with one root-meaning which may have many shoots and flowers and fruits etc (i.e. various meanings but based on the root-meaning).
For example, the words related with the root word ق-و-ل (Q-W-L) have occurred in Quran for about 1722 times.
The basic or root-meaning of this root-word is "to communicate by using one's body parts like head (e.g. nod), eyes (e.g., frown), hands (e.g., making sign), tongue (e.g., speak, utter etc)".
Usually the related words to this root-word (Q-W-L) are translated by considering the 'communication by using tongue' i.e., speaking/talking/uttering.
Peace!