The degree of ambiguity of words with multiple meanings was estimated by the semantic uncertainty (U) of a word as measured by word association and sentence generation tasks. Ambiguous words defined in this way were as well remembered

in a recognition memory test as control words. When words were first presented in sentences that would determine their encoded sense, it was found that successive encodings of an ambiguous word converged more when the word appeared in its primary sense than when it appeared in its secondary sense. However, given convergent encodings, recognition was more likely if the word had first occurred in its secondary sense. An explanation in terms of semantic focus is offered and related to the general relationship between recognition and frequency.