The book investigates the challenges and methodologies involved in enabling computers to discern the correct meaning of English words within various contexts. It addresses the fundamental problem of lexical ambiguity, where a single word can have multiple senses, and explores how computational models can be developed to resolve this ambiguity. The work draws upon linguistic theory and early computational techniques to propose solutions for automated word sense disambiguation, a critical component for natural language understanding.

This foundational text in computational linguistics is recognized for its early and rigorous approach to the problem of word sense disambiguation. It laid groundwork for subsequent research by detailing the complexities of lexical ambiguity and proposing systematic methods for computers to tackle it. The book is likely to be of interest to researchers and students in natural language processing, artificial intelligence, and lexicography who are studying the historical development of these fields. Its detailed analysis of algorithms and linguistic principles provides a valuable historical perspective on a persistent challenge in machine understanding of language.