double meaning

Double meaning

Can a given word have two different meaning in the same sentence?

Whaling is endangering whales and is a endangered specie. Ok, I guess we can't in this case. Well, I would use it, but probably people will tell me it's not for being too awkward and confusing.

The White House is competent, and a beautiful landmark.

The White House as the personnel first and as a landmark then...

Can you give other examples if only the second one is correct to illustrate why?

wholegrain

Can a given word have two different meaning in the same sentence?

Much humor depends on it, yes.  But there the whole sentence usually has two meanings at the same time. 

Your example is a case where the word has two meanings, one after the other.  That's different.  It just makes your reader confused and frustrated; whereas your job is to make what you write easy to understand.  These kinds of confusions are the mark of bad writing:

The book was very amusing and on the third shelf.  (book as narrative vs. book as object)

Rabbits multiply very quickly, and so can calculators. (multiplication as reproduction vs. multiplication as computation)

And my perennial favorite, showing that literal and figurative meanings cannot be mixed:

She left in a Cadillac and a bad mood. (in to show literal position vs. in to show figurative position)

CJ 

 

What about these?

Bush has bombed Iraq, but is a good president.

The scepter ordered them to kill, and is shining in its majesty.

Tide is wonderful, but when it is red it kills.

Red water can kill; however, it is full of living things.

Dark night is a stalker, but can be full of romance.

wholegrain

What about these?

What about them?  They are all bizarre.  I don't see a double meaning in the first, fourth, or the last.

CJ 

 No, I'm afraid not.

I would never understand "red water" to mean a shark. I thought you were referring to red tide.

I would never understand "dark night" to mean a person.

With the first, although it was not Bush himself who did any of the bombing, because he ordered it to happen, it's not really a double meaning. If you say "the mayor closed the park" he probably didn't run around himself locking the gates, but ordered it done.

Are you studying this concept yourself or in school? I think, if it's self-study, you may want to let it rest for a little while. You're trying too hard and will soon become frustrated.