diff --git a/scrapy/addons.py b/scrapy/addons.py
index 43a36e5e5..153de66d2 100644
--- a/scrapy/addons.py
+++ b/scrapy/addons.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from zope.interface.verify import verifyObject
 
 from scrapy.interfaces import IAddon
 from scrapy.utils.conf import build_component_list
-from scrapy.utils.misc import load_module_or_object
+from scrapy.utils.misc import load_object
 
 
 @zope.interface.implementer(IAddon)
@@ -252,8 +252,8 @@ class AddonManager(Mapping):
         """
         if isinstance(path, str):
             try:
-                obj = load_module_or_object(path)
-            except NameError:
+                obj = load_object(path)
+            except (ValueError, NameError, ImportError):
                 raise NameError(f"Could not find add-on '{path}'")
         else:
             obj = path
diff --git a/scrapy/utils/misc.py b/scrapy/utils/misc.py
index 8577cce02..d861c9ab6 100644
--- a/scrapy/utils/misc.py
+++ b/scrapy/utils/misc.py
@@ -72,22 +72,6 @@ def load_object(path: Union[str, Callable]) -> Any:
     return obj
 
 
-def load_module_or_object(path):
-    """Load python module or (non-module) object from given path.
-
-    Path can be both a Python or a file path.
-    """
-    try:
-        return import_module(path)
-    except ImportError:
-        pass
-    try:
-        return load_object(path)
-    except (ValueError, NameError, ImportError):
-        pass
-    raise NameError(f"Could not load '{path}'")
-
-
 def walk_modules(path):
     """Loads a module and all its submodules from the given module path and
     returns them. If *any* module throws an exception while importing, that
diff --git a/tests/test_utils_misc/__init__.py b/tests/test_utils_misc/__init__.py
index 7932ca04c..4f6e0d02c 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils_misc/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/test_utils_misc/__init__.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ from scrapy.item import Field, Item
 from scrapy.utils.misc import (
     arg_to_iter,
     create_instance,
-    load_module_or_object,
     load_object,
     rel_has_nofollow,
     set_environ,
@@ -31,17 +30,17 @@ class UtilsMiscTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         obj = load_object("scrapy.utils.misc.load_object")
         self.assertIs(obj, load_object)
 
+    def test_load_object_module(self):
+        testmod = load_object(__name__ + ".testmod")
+        self.assertTrue(hasattr(testmod, "TESTVAR"))
+        obj = load_object("scrapy.utils.misc.load_object")
+        self.assertIs(obj, load_object)
+
     def test_load_object_exceptions(self):
         self.assertRaises(ImportError, load_object, "nomodule999.mod.function")
         self.assertRaises(NameError, load_object, "scrapy.utils.misc.load_object999")
         self.assertRaises(TypeError, load_object, {})
 
-    def test_load_module_or_object(self):
-        testmod = load_module_or_object(__name__ + ".testmod")
-        self.assertTrue(hasattr(testmod, "TESTVAR"))
-        obj = load_object("scrapy.utils.misc.load_object")
-        self.assertIs(obj, load_object)
-
     def test_walk_modules(self):
         mods = walk_modules("tests.test_utils_misc.test_walk_modules")
         expected = [