Words with Multiple Meanings (Anekarthi Shabd) — Patwari Notes
Anekarthi words are those that carry more than one meaning, with the correct meaning decided by the sentence's context. Exams often ask option-based questions on this, so every word's correct meanings are given clearly here.
- Class 3-8 depth level
- 7 min read
What are Anekarthi (multi-meaning) words?
Words that carry more than one meaning, where the correct meaning is decided by the sentence's context, are called Anekarthi Shabd (multi-meaning words). In Hindi, the same word can give completely different meanings in different sentences — for example, 'कल' can mean 'the future/the past day' (कल परीक्षा है — "the exam is tomorrow") as well as 'a machine/part' (कल-पुर्जे — "machine parts").
A common mistake is confusing anekarthi words with paryayvachi (synonym) words. In synonyms, different words share one meaning (जैसे 'जल', 'नीर', 'पानी' — three words, one meaning), whereas in anekarthi words, one word has several meanings. The exam may test this difference directly or indirectly, so keep both concepts clearly separate in your memory.
Major multi-meaning words and their meanings
| Word | Meaning 1 | Meaning 2 | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| कल (kal) | the future/the past day | a machine, a part | कल तुम आओगे (day) / कारखाने में कल-पुर्जे बदले गए (machine parts). |
| नव (nav) | new | nine (a number) | यह नव वर्ष है (new) / नवरात्रि नौ रातों का पर्व है (nine). |
| अंक (ank) | number | lap | यह उसका रोल अंक है (number) / बच्चा माँ की अंक में सोया (lap). |
| फल (phal) | fruit of a tree | result/outcome | मेहनत का फल मीठा होता है (result) / बाजार से फल खरीदे (fruit). |
| हार (haar) | defeat | a garland/necklace | टीम को हार मिली (defeat) / उसने सुंदर हार पहना (necklace). |
| सर (sar) | head | a pond | सर पर टोपी रखो (head) / गाँव के बाहर बड़ा सर है (pond). |
| पत्र (patra) | a letter | a leaf (of a tree) | उसने पत्र लिखा (letter) / पतझड़ में वृक्षों के पत्र गिर जाते हैं (leaf). |
| आम (aam) | ordinary/common | a fruit (mango) | यह एक आम आदमी है (ordinary) / गर्मियों में आम खाना पसंद है (mango). |
| कनक (kanak) | gold | dhatura (a plant) | मंदिर में कनक जड़ित मूर्ति है (gold) / खेत में कनक (धतूरा) का पौधा उगा (dhatura). |
| सोना (sona) | a precious metal (gold) | to sleep (a verb) | उसने सोने की अंगूठी खरीदी (metal) / बच्चा जल्दी सोना चाहता था (to sleep). |
| अंबर (ambar) | sky | clothing, cloth | अंबर में तारे चमक रहे थे (sky) / उसने रेशमी अंबर पहना (clothing). |
| तीर (teer) | an arrow | a riverbank | उसने तीर चलाया (arrow) / नदी के तीर पर बैठा था (riverbank). |
The correct meaning of each word is decided by the context of the sentence.
How to identify the correct meaning in a sentence
The correct meaning of an anekarthi word is always decided by the surrounding words (context). For instance, in 'कल आपने क्या किया?' ("What did you do yesterday?"), 'कल' means the past day, while in 'कारखाने के कल-पुर्जे खराब हैं' ("The factory's machine parts are faulty"), 'कल' means machine/part. Similarly, in 'मेहनत का फल मीठा होता है' ("The fruit of hard work is sweet"), 'फल' means result, while in 'बाजार से फल खरीदे' ("Fruits were bought from the market"), 'फल' means the fruit that grows on a tree.
While reading the options in the exam, keep the given root word in mind and match it against every word in every option — if even one word doesn't fit, treat the whole option as wrong. This is the most reliable method for 'choose all the correct meanings'-type questions.
Memory trick
When the options give a group of words, first find the root word's most common meaning, then match the remaining options against it — eliminate immediately any option containing even one mismatched word. Whichever option survives to the end, with every word matching the meaning, is the correct answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between anekarthi and paryayvachi words?+
In anekarthi words, one word has several meanings (जैसे 'कल'), whereas in paryayvachi words, several words share one meaning (जैसे 'जल, नीर, पानी').
Can the meaning of an anekarthi word be decided without a sentence?+
No, the correct meaning of an anekarthi word is always decided by the sentence's context; when the word is asked about on its own, its most common meaning is taken.
How many meanings does the word 'सोना' have?+
'सोना' means both a precious metal (gold) and the act of sleeping — both meanings are decided based on the sentence.
Which section of the exam asks about anekarthi words?+
This topic is asked from the vocabulary (word-knowledge) part of the Hindi language section and is included in the syllabus.