sparring vs arguing

sparring and arguing both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
sparring	Yes	No	No	No
arguing	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, arguing is a hypernym of sparring; that is, arguing is a word with a broader meaning than sparring:

sparring: an argument in which the participants are trying to gain some advantage
arguing: a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

Other hypernyms of sparring include argument, contention, contestation, controversy, disceptation, disputation, tilt.

sparring (noun)	arguing (noun)
making the motions of attack and defense with the fists and arms; a part of training for a boxer	a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement
an argument in which the participants are trying to gain some advantage