• Khas: points to a defined or limited person, kind or quantity.
• Aam: includes every member within the class named by the wording, without a fixed count.
• Mushtarak: one word has several separately established meanings.
• Mu'awwal: reliable evidence identifies one intended meaning from the possible meanings.
Khas/Aam ask about scope. Mushtarak/Mu'awwal ask about possible and selected meaning.