Chinese character for a bell or farm tool

It names a large ritual bell or a hoe-like farm tool.

The bell is a large bronze percussion instrument used in ceremony; the tool is a hoe or spade in classical farming lines. Nearby words settle which sense is meant.

The bell moved from one instrument into sets

Archaeological records place the bell form in late Shang southern China, at the end of the Shang dynasty, first as one instrument. From the Western Zhou to the early Spring and Autumn period—successive eras under Zhou rule—it entered court music in sets of three, with drums helping keep the beat.

鎛, the Traditional Chinese form, appears in ancient bronze inscriptions—words cast into metal objects—as both a bell name and a term for high-quality metal. Early dictionaries also record the farm-tool sense. A Western Zhou ritual bell bears an inscription about its owner's ancestors' service at court, inherited rank, and hope that descendants would treasure the set.

Is 镈 the same as 钟?

No. 钟 is a general bell term; 镈 is a distinct form.

Museum descriptions distinguish 镈 by its especially large oval body and flat mouth. The two characters are related in subject, not alternate spellings.