> "It's not really about context ... [it] means different things to different people."
The identities of the speaker and audience are part of context. As you correctly inferred, if I'm speaking, an unqualified "America" probably means "the United States". If you're speaking, it probably means "the largest landmass in the western hemisphere". If we're quoting Obama speaking to the Senate, or Morelos during the revolution, we can infer what they mean by "America".
Accept the meaning the speaker intends, when it's communicated clearly enough that you can infer it. That's how communication works.
The identities of the speaker and audience are part of context. As you correctly inferred, if I'm speaking, an unqualified "America" probably means "the United States". If you're speaking, it probably means "the largest landmass in the western hemisphere". If we're quoting Obama speaking to the Senate, or Morelos during the revolution, we can infer what they mean by "America".
Accept the meaning the speaker intends, when it's communicated clearly enough that you can infer it. That's how communication works.