means A match is either a small fire-starting stick tipped with chemicals that ignite by friction, or a contest, pairing, or correspondence between two equal or suited things.

from Two separate words wearing the same coat. The fire-stick comes from Old French 'meiche' (lamp wick), likely from Latin 'myxa,' a snout or lamp nozzle, itself borrowed from Greek 'myxa' meaning mucus or nostril — the wick poked out like a runny nose. The other 'match,' meaning a mate, equal, or contest, is homegrown English from Old English 'gemæcca,' a companion or spouse, related to 'make' — the one made to go with you. So the wick and the wedding share a spelling by pure accident, and English never bothered to tell them apart.