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REET L1+L2 · Hindi

Polysemous Words (Anekarthi Shabd)

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This page covers anekarthi shabd (words with more than one meaning) asked in the Hindi language section of the REET exam — their list, how to identify them, and examples. REET 2024 asked this topic as an option-based question, so every word's correct meanings are laid out clearly here.

  • 1 question in REET 2024
  • Class 3–8 level
  • 7 min read
Verified 17 September 2026

How REET asks this topic

In REET Hindi (Language-1/Language-2), a question on anekarthi shabd doesn't come as a direct 'give the meaning of this word' — it comes as an option-selection question. REET 2024 asked which option lists all the correct meanings of the word 'उदार' — where you had to pick the option in which every word given was an actual meaning of 'उदार' (such as दाता, बड़ा, सरल, श्रेष्ठ). In the wrong options, examiners deliberately mix in an antonym or an unrelated word alongside 1-2 correct words, so every word in every option needs to be checked separately.

What are Anekarthi Shabd?

Words that have more than one meaning, where the correct meaning is decided by the context of the sentence, are called anekarthi shabd (polysemous words). In Hindi, the very same word can give completely different meanings in different sentences — for example, the word 'कल' can mean 'the future/the past day' (कल परीक्षा है) as well as 'machine/mechanism' (कल-पुर्जे).

Confusing anekarthi shabd with paryayvachi shabd (synonyms) is a common mistake. In synonyms, different words share one meaning (e.g. 'जल', 'नीर', 'पानी' — three words, one meaning), while in anekarthi shabd, one word has several meanings. REET can test this difference directly or indirectly, so remember both concepts distinctly.

Major Anekarthi Shabd and Their Meanings

WordMeaning 1Meaning 2Example Sentence
कलfuture / the past daymachine, mechanismकल तुम आओगे (day) / कारखाने में कल-पुर्जे बदले गए (machine).
नवnewnine (number)यह नव वर्ष है (new) / नवरात्रि नौ रातों का पर्व है (nine).
अंकnumberlapयह उसका रोल अंक है (number) / बच्चा माँ की अंक में सोया (lap).
फलfruit (of a tree)resultमेहनत का फल मीठा होता है (result) / बाजार से फल खरीदे (fruit).
हारdefeatgarland, neck ornamentटीम को हार मिली (defeat) / उसने सुंदर हार पहना (ornament).
सरheadpondसर पर टोपी रखो (head) / गाँव के बाहर बड़ा सर है (pond).
पत्रletterleaf (of a tree)उसने पत्र लिखा (letter) / पतझड़ में वृक्षों के पत्र गिर जाते हैं (leaf).
आमcommon / ordinarya fruit (mango)यह एक आम आदमी है (common) / गर्मियों में आम खाना पसंद है (fruit).
कनकgoldthorn apple (a plant)मंदिर में कनक जड़ित मूर्ति है (gold) / खेत में कनक (धतूरा) का पौधा उगा।
सोनाthe precious metal (gold)to sleep (verb)उसने सोने की अंगूठी खरीदी (metal) / बच्चा जल्दी सोना चाहता था (verb).
अंबरskycloth, garmentअंबर में तारे चमक रहे थे (sky) / उसने रेशमी अंबर पहना (garment).
तीरarrowriverbankउसने तीर चलाया (arrow) / नदी के तीर पर बैठा था (riverbank).

The correct meaning of each word is decided by the context of the sentence.

Why This Topic Matters for REET

As a future teacher, a REET candidate needs a solid grasp of anekarthi shabd because Hindi textbooks from classes 3 to 8 keep bringing in exercises on word-meaning, reading comprehension, and vocabulary. When children come across an anekarthi shabd in a lesson, it's the teacher who has to point out the correct context and clarify its meaning, so this topic isn't confined to the exam — it's part of everyday teaching too.

Also keep in mind that polysemous usages of Sanskrit-rooted words (like कनक, अंबर, तीर) also turn up in literary prose passages and poems, so candidates taking Hindi as Language-2 should also prepare this topic well.

How to Identify the Correct Meaning in a Sentence

The correct meaning of an anekarthi shabd is always decided by the surrounding words (context). For example, in 'कल आपने क्या किया?' the meaning of 'कल' is 'the past day', while in 'कारखाने के कल-पुर्जे खराब हैं' the meaning of 'कल' is 'machine/mechanism'. Similarly, in 'मेहनत का फल मीठा होता है' the meaning of 'फल' is 'result', while in 'बाजार से फल खरीदे' the meaning of 'फल' is '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, mark the whole option wrong. This approach is the most reliable one for 'choose all correct meanings' type questions like the one in REET 2024.

How to Teach This to Children

Classroom Activity

Write an anekarthi shabd (like 'फल') on the board and have children make two different sentences — one using the meaning 'result', the other using 'fruit' (to eat). Working in pairs helps children learn to identify meaning from context.

Teaching Aids

Make word-cards with the anekarthi shabd on one side and its 2 meanings shown with pictures on the other — for example, a card for 'सोना' with a picture of a gold brick and a picture of a sleeping child.

Common Error

Children often mistake an anekarthi shabd for a paryayvachi shabd and give the reverse answer. To fix this, teach both concepts side by side with examples, not separately.

Assessment Method

Say an anekarthi shabd out loud and ask children to state as many meanings as they know, then have them make a sentence for each meaning to check.

Trick to Remember

When a group of words is given as options, first find the most common meaning of the root word, then check the rest of the options against it — whichever option has even one mismatched word, cross it out right away. The option that survives to the end, with every word matching a real meaning, is the correct answer.

Questions Asked in REET 2024 (Solved)

निर्देश : निम्नलिखित गद्यांश के आधार पर प्रश्न संख्या 31-40 तक के उत्तर दीजिए : आम आदमी के लिए विज्ञान का मतलब क्या है ? विज्ञान मानव सभ्यता और संस्कृति का एक रूप है । आधुनिक विज्ञान ने इस नैसर्गिक सादगी व सौन्दर्य को हाशिए पर डाल कर विज्ञान को एक औपचारिक ढाँचे में कैद कर लिया है । विज्ञान एक औजार बन गया है जिससे प्रकृति के रहस्यों को खोलने की कोशिश की जाती हैं । इस प्रक्रिया में आम इंसान का संबंध इससे कट गया है । ‘विज्ञान पूर्वाग्रहों से मुक्त ज्ञान का भण्डार है’- ऐसा कहा जाता है । विज्ञान को विकास से जोड़ा जाता है । यह सरासर गलत है । जिन आदिवासियों ने सदियों प्रकृति के साथ सम्मानजनक रिश्ता बनाए रखा, आज हमने उन्हें ‘अविकसित’ मान लिया है । मानव का मानव से संबंध हानि-लाभ पर निर्धारित हो रहा है ।

Question 40

In which option do all the words give the meaning of the word 'उदार' (generous)?

  1. Aअनुदार, बड़ा, कठिन, ईमानदार
  2. Bदाता, बड़ा, सरल, श्रेष्ठ
  3. Cदानवीर, सरल, कुशपुत्र, कर्ण
  4. Dमौलिक, स्थिर, अधिकता, अभिप्राय

Explanation

‘उदार’ शब्द के अर्थ हैं— दाता (दानशील), बड़ा (बड़े दिल वाला), सरल (सीधा) और श्रेष्ठ। विकल्प (B) में ये सभी अर्थ हैं। विकल्प (A) में ‘अनुदार’ और ‘कठिन’ उदार के विपरीत भाव वाले हैं, और (C) में कर्ण, कुशपुत्र जैसे व्यक्तिवाचक नाम हैं।

Practice Questions

Question 1

Which two meanings of the word 'फल' are prevalent in Hindi?

  1. Aपरिणाम और वृक्ष का फल
  2. Bपत्ता और परिणाम
  3. Cमाला और परिणाम
  4. Dयंत्र और परिणाम

Explanation

The word 'फल' means 'result' (as in मेहनत का फल) as well as 'the fruit that grows on a tree' (as in आम), depending on the context.

Question 2

In the sentence 'कारखाने के सभी कल-पुर्जे जाँचे जा रहे हैं', in which sense is the word 'कल' used?

  1. Aआने वाला दिन
  2. Bबीता हुआ दिन
  3. Cयंत्र/पुर्जा
  4. Dचैन

Explanation

In 'कल-पुर्जे', 'कल' means machine/mechanism, not a day. This is made clear by the context of the sentence.

Question 3

Which of the following options correctly shows both meanings of the word 'अंक'?

  1. Aसंख्या, गोद
  2. Bपराजय, माला
  3. Cसिर, तालाब
  4. Dयंत्र, चैन

Explanation

'अंक' means both 'number' (as in a roll number) and 'lap' (as in a mother's lap).

Question 4

What is the main difference between an anekarthi shabd (word with multiple meanings) and a paryayvachi shabd (synonym)?

  1. Aअनेकार्थी में एक शब्द के कई अर्थ होते हैं, पर्यायवाची में कई शब्दों का एक अर्थ होता है
  2. Bदोनों बिल्कुल एक ही होते हैं
  3. Cपर्यायवाची में वर्तनी बदलती है, अनेकार्थी में नहीं
  4. Dअनेकार्थी केवल संज्ञा शब्दों के लिए प्रयुक्त होता है

Explanation

An anekarthi shabd (like 'कल') has several meanings, while a paryayvachi shabd (like जल-नीर-पानी) is several words giving one shared meaning.

Question 5

Which option gives both correct meanings of the word 'तीर'?

  1. Aबाण, नदी का किनारा
  2. Bयंत्र, चैन
  3. Cमाला, पराजय
  4. Dसंख्या, गोद

Explanation

'तीर' means an arrow (shot from a bow) as well as a riverbank/shore. The remaining options are meanings of 'कल', 'हार', and 'अंक' respectively.

Question 6

In the sentence 'उसने बड़ी मेहनत के बाद भी मैच में हार का सामना किया', the word 'हार' means:

  1. Aगले का आभूषण
  2. Bपराजय
  3. Cमाला
  4. Dसोना

Explanation

In 'हार का सामना किया', 'हार' means 'defeat', not an ornament.

Question 7

What are the two prevalent meanings of the word 'कनक' in Hindi?

  1. Aसोना और धतूरा
  2. Bचांदी और तांबा
  3. Cआकाश और वस्त्र
  4. Dफल और परिणाम

Explanation

The word 'कनक' means 'gold' (the precious metal) as well as 'dhatura' (a plant whose seeds are poisonous) — this is a classic anekarthi shabd.

Question 8

What is the most effective way of teaching anekarthi shabd (multi-meaning words) in class?

  1. Aशब्दों और उनके अर्थों की सूची रटवाना
  2. Bहर अर्थ के लिए अलग-अलग वाक्य बनवाकर संदर्भ से अर्थ पहचानने का अभ्यास कराना
  3. Cकेवल परीक्षा के दिन पढ़ाना
  4. Dशब्दकोश से अर्थ लिखवाकर छोड़ देना

Explanation

Since the correct meaning of an anekarthi shabd always depends on context, having children build separate sentences for each meaning and practise identifying meaning from context is more effective than rote-learning.

Question 9

Which of the following is the most suitable activity for assessing anekarthi shabd (multi-meaning words)?

  1. Aकेवल बहुविकल्पीय प्रश्न देना
  2. Bशब्द बोलकर बच्चों से उसके सभी ज्ञात अर्थों पर अलग-अलग वाक्य बनवाना
  3. Cशब्द की वर्तनी जाँचना
  4. Dशब्द को अंग्रेज़ी में अनुवाद करवाना

Explanation

Having children say a word out loud and build separate sentences for every meaning they know shows whether they can identify the correct meaning from context — something a plain MCQ or a spelling check cannot reveal.

Question 10

What is the most common misconception among children while teaching anekarthi shabd (multi-meaning words)?

  1. Aवे अनेकार्थी शब्द को पर्यायवाची शब्द समझ लेते हैं
  2. Bवे शब्दों की वर्तनी भूल जाते हैं
  3. Cवे शब्दों को अंग्रेज़ी में बोलने लगते हैं
  4. Dवे विलोम शब्द बोलने लगते हैं

Explanation

Children often mistake an anekarthi shabd for a paryayvachi shabd, so it is important to clarify both concepts together with examples, side by side, rather than separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many REET questions come from anekarthi shabd?+

REET 2024 asked 1 question from anekarthi shabd in the Hindi language section. Topics related to word-knowledge (anekarthi, paryayvachi, vilom, shabd-yugm) together contribute a handful of questions in every exam.

What is the difference between anekarthi and paryayvachi words?+

In anekarthi shabd, one word has several meanings (like 'कल'), while in paryayvachi shabd, several words share the same one meaning (like 'जल, नीर, पानी').

Can the meaning of an anekarthi shabd be decided without a sentence?+

No, the correct meaning of an anekarthi shabd is always decided by the context of the sentence; when the word alone is asked about, the most common meaning is taken.

How many meanings does the word 'सोना' have?+

'सोना' means the precious metal (gold), and it is also the verb 'to sleep' — both meanings are decided based on the sentence.

Which part of the REET exam are anekarthi shabd asked from?+

This topic is asked from the word-knowledge portion of the Hindi option in both Language-1 and Language-2, and it is included in the syllabus for both REET Level 1 and Level 2.

Read Next

Vilom Shabd (Antonyms)

REET Hindi grammar notes on antonyms.

Shabd-Yugm (Word Pairs)

Notes on words that sound alike but mean differently.

REET Syllabus

See the complete REET Level 1 and Level 2 syllabus.

REET 2024 Solved Paper

Read all solved REET 2024 questions in one place.

Change Log

  • 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked