At 32 questions, this is the longest lesson test in this part of Word Knowledge. Each item places a familiar word in a sentence and asks for the sense that fits, so you will need to tell a fee from an accusation, a working copy from moving air, a penalty from a fine grain, and a metal from a verb meaning guide.
The mechanic listed a separate CHARGE for disposing of the old tires.
As used in this sentence, CHARGE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: fee. The charge is "listed" by a mechanic for a service (disposing of tires), so it is an amount billed. Substituting "fee" keeps the sentence natural and its meaning unchanged.
A: Charging forward is a physical advance, which does not fit an item listed on an invoice.
B: A formal accusation is a real sense of charge, but nothing legal appears in a repair bill.
C (correct): A mechanic listing an item on a bill points to an amount of money owed for a service.
D: Electrical charge is a technical sense that has nothing to do with the cost of tire disposal.
Question 2 of 32 · easy
Please email me the DRAFT of your report by Friday so I can mark corrections before it is printed.
As used in this sentence, DRAFT most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: rough version. The draft is a report that will be corrected before it is printed, so it is a preliminary written version. The air and recruitment senses do not fit something you email and correct.
A: The report still needs corrections before printing, so it is not the final version.
B: Selecting recruits is a real sense of draft, but nothing in the sentence involves recruiting.
C (correct): A report that still needs corrections before printing is an early, preliminary version.
D: A draft can be moving air, but air cannot be emailed or corrected.
Question 3 of 32 · easy
Wear a dust mask when sanding drywall, because the FINE particles can irritate your lungs.
As used in this sentence, FINE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: very small. FINE modifies "particles," and the warning about breathing them in tells you the sentence is about size. Particles small enough to reach the lungs are very small.
A: Fine can describe high quality, but the sentence is warning about harm, not praising the dust.
B: Fine can mean acceptable, yet particles that irritate the lungs are being measured by size, not judged as okay.
C: This confuses the adjective with the noun fine, a money penalty, which has no role in sanding.
D (correct): Particles that float into the lungs are described by their tiny size.
Question 4 of 32 · easy
Residents must place their REFUSE in sealed bins at the curb on Tuesday mornings.
As used in this sentence, REFUSE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: trash. The word follows "their" and is placed in bins, so it is a noun naming a physical material. Curbside bins for pickup hold garbage, so REFUSE here means trash, not the act of declining.
A (correct): Something placed in sealed bins at the curb for pickup is garbage, the noun sense of refuse.
B: Nothing in the sentence involves money; bins at the curb point to waste.
C: Rejecting is the verb sense of refuse, but here the word is a noun that goes into bins.
D: Residents do not usually put their possessions out at the curb in sealed bins for collection.
Question 5 of 32 · easy
Under the magnifier, the inspector spotted a MINUTE scratch on the camera lens.
As used in this sentence, MINUTE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: tiny. MINUTE sits before the noun "scratch," so it works as an adjective, and the magnifier signals something extremely small. The time sense would make no sense describing a scratch.
A: Nothing in the sentence says when the scratch was made; this guesses from the time sense of minute.
B: A scratch that requires a magnifier to see is the opposite of obvious.
C: This is the common time sense of minute, but a scratch is not measured in time.
D (correct): Needing a magnifier to see the scratch shows it is extremely small.
Question 6 of 32 · easy
Large herds of bison once grazed across the open PLAIN.
As used in this sentence, PLAIN most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: flat grassland. After "the open," PLAIN acts as a noun naming a place bison could graze across. That is a broad, relatively flat stretch of land, not a description of style or clarity.
A: Plain can mean easy to understand, which applies to directions or speech, not terrain.
B: Grazing across an open area suggests level land, not a steep mountain feature.
C: Plain can describe something undecorated, but here the word names a place where animals graze.
D (correct): Herds grazing across an open area describe broad, level land.
Question 7 of 32 · easy
After forty years of repairing engines, the retired mechanic was CONTENT to spend his mornings fishing.
As used in this sentence, CONTENT most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: satisfied. CONTENT follows "was" and describes the mechanic, so it is an adjective about his state of mind. Being happy to spend mornings fishing means he was satisfied.
A: The topics covered in a book or course are content in the noun sense, not a feeling.
B (correct): Describing how a person feels about a calm routine calls for the emotional sense: pleased and at ease.
C: Restless is nearly the opposite of being at ease with a quiet routine.
D: This is the noun sense, as in the contents of a box, which cannot describe how a person feels.
Question 8 of 32 · easy
Water pipes in some very old houses were made of LEAD, which can be harmful to drink from.
As used in this sentence, LEAD most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: a heavy metal. The phrase "made of" requires a material, so LEAD here is the metal (pronounced like "led"). The health warning also fits the metal, not any sense of guiding.
A: A lead in an investigation is a clue, which has nothing to do with plumbing materials.
B: Lead (rhyming with need) means guide, but pipes are not made of guidance.
C: Being in the lead is a position in a race, not a material for pipes.
D (correct): Pipes are made of a material, and the harmful substance is the dense metallic element.
Question 9 of 32 · medium
Before driving onto the highway, SECURE the kayak to the roof rack with two straps.
As used in this sentence, SECURE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: fasten. The tools ("two straps") and the place ("to the roof rack") show the kayak is being tied down. "Fasten" is the precise paraphrase; "guard" is related but less exact, and "obtain" is a valid sense that does not fit.
A: Guarding is related to safety but is too broad; the straps physically tie the kayak down.
B: Buying the kayak has nothing to do with attaching it to a roof rack with straps.
C: Secure can mean get, as in securing funding, but you already have the kayak; the straps hold it down.
D (correct): Straps attach the kayak firmly to the rack, so the verb means hold it firmly in place.
Question 10 of 32 · medium
Last summer the small community garden YIELDED nearly forty pounds of tomatoes.
As used in this sentence, YIELDED most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: produced. The subject is a garden and the object is a quantity of tomatoes, so YIELDED means produced. Substituting "produced" keeps the sentence natural, while the surrender and traffic senses make no sense with a harvest.
A: Surrender is a sense of yield used for armies or defenders, not for plants growing food.
B (correct): A garden giving forty pounds of tomatoes is producing a crop.
C: Giving way to traffic is the road-sign sense, which does not fit a garden and its harvest.
D: A garden cannot buy tomatoes; the weight shows what it grew.
Question 11 of 32 · medium
The sheer SCALE of the flood damage forced the governor to request federal assistance.
As used in this sentence, SCALE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: extent. "Sheer" and the need for federal help show the sentence is about how big the damage was. SCALE therefore means extent or magnitude, not a measuring device or a ratio.
A (correct): Damage large enough to require outside help is described by its size or extent.
B: Scales cover fish and reptiles; that sense has nothing to do with flooding.
C: A scale can weigh objects, but flood damage cannot be placed on a scale.
D: A scale can be a proportion on a map, but the sentence is about how large the damage was.
Question 12 of 32 · medium
The judge ordered the court reporter to STRIKE the witness's last remark from the record.
As used in this sentence, STRIKE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: delete. The object is a remark and the phrase "from the record" tells you something is being taken out of a document. STRIKE here means remove or delete.
A (correct): Removing a remark from a written record is the removal sense of strike.
B: Workers strike by halting work together, which a court reporter removing words is not doing.
C: Hitting is the most familiar sense of strike, but a spoken remark in a record cannot be physically hit.
D: Striking oil means finding it unexpectedly, but the remark is already known and is being taken out.
Question 13 of 32 · medium
During the physical, the nurse will CONDUCT a short hearing test.
As used in this sentence, CONDUCT most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: perform. CONDUCT follows "will," so it is a verb, and its object is "a short hearing test," an activity. The sense that fits an activity is carry out or perform.
A: Conducting an orchestra is a real sense, but a hearing test involves no musicians.
B: Conduct means transmit when metals carry heat or electricity, not when a nurse gives a test.
C (correct): A nurse carrying out a test is organizing and doing an activity.
D: Conduct as a noun means behavior, but here it is a verb with a test as its object.
Question 14 of 32 · medium
The bakery owner borrowed enough CAPITAL to buy new ovens and open a second shop.
As used in this sentence, CAPITAL most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: investment funds. Something that is borrowed and used to buy ovens is money for investment. The city, letter and crime senses are real but do not fit a business expansion.
A: A capital offense is a grave crime, which does not fit borrowing for a bakery.
B: A capital can be a seat of government, but a city cannot be borrowed to buy ovens.
C (correct): Money borrowed to buy equipment and expand a business is capital in the financial sense.
D: Capital letters are a writing term with no connection to buying equipment.
Question 15 of 32 · medium
A broken SPRING kept the screen door from swinging shut on its own.
As used in this sentence, SPRING most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: coiled metal part. The spring is "broken" and its job is to close a door automatically, which points to an elastic mechanical part. The season, water and jump senses do not fit a door mechanism.
A (correct): The part that pulls a door shut by itself is an elastic mechanical component.
B: Spring as a verb can mean jump, but here it is a noun naming a broken part.
C: A spring that feeds a stream is a real sense, but it has no role in a screen door.
D: A season cannot be broken or close a door.
Question 16 of 32 · medium
High winds did not PERMIT a rocket launch on Tuesday, so the team rescheduled it.
As used in this sentence, PERMIT most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: allow. PERMIT follows "did not," so it is a verb, and its object is the launch. Because the team had to reschedule, the winds did not allow the launch.
A: Require is not a sense of permit; the winds blocked the launch rather than demanding it.
B (correct): Winds that prevented the launch did not allow it, the verb sense of permit.
C: Forbid is the opposite of permit; "did not forbid" would mean the launch could go ahead.
D: This is the noun sense of permit, but here the word follows "did not" and acts as a verb.
Question 17 of 32 · medium
The new sorting machines let the warehouse triple the VOLUME of packages it ships each day.
As used in this sentence, VOLUME most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: amount. The phrase "of packages it ships each day" shows VOLUME is a quantity of activity. Tripling it means shipping three times as many, so the meaning is amount.
A (correct): Tripling the packages shipped each day describes a quantity of activity.
B: The sentence counts how many packages leave each day, not the space inside a box.
C: Volume can mean loudness, but the sentence counts packages, not sound.
D: A volume can be one book in a series, which has nothing to do with shipping.
Question 18 of 32 · medium
A sudden rise in fuel prices COMPOUNDED the airline's money problems.
As used in this sentence, COMPOUNDED most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: worsened. COMPOUNDED is a verb whose object is "money problems," and a rise in fuel costs adds to an airline's troubles. The sense that fits is made worse.
A: A compound can be enclosed grounds, but problems cannot be fenced.
B: Rising fuel prices would hurt an airline, so eased reverses the meaning.
C (correct): When problems compound, another factor makes them grow worse.
D: A chemical compound is a real sense, but money problems are not elements being bonded.
Question 19 of 32 · medium
On his first day, the new employee could barely BEAR the constant noise of the stamping press.
As used in this sentence, BEAR most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: tolerate. The object of BEAR is "noise," an unpleasant experience, and "could barely" signals difficulty enduring it. The sense that fits is tolerate.
A: Pillars bear a load, but noise has no weight to hold up.
B (correct): Noise is an unpleasant experience, so bear means put up with or endure.
C: This sense of bear applies to animals or people having young, not to noise.
D: Bear can mean carry, but noise is not something you pick up and move.
Question 20 of 32 · medium
The FIGURE at the bottom of the expense column did not match the total of the receipts.
As used in this sentence, FIGURE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: number. The figure sits in an expense column and is compared with a total, so it must be an amount. FIGURE here means number.
A: A labeled figure in a report is an illustration, but the sentence compares it with a money total.
B: A figure can be a shape or silhouette, but shapes are not compared to receipt totals.
C (correct): An entry at the bottom of an expense column compared with a receipt total is a numeral.
D: A public figure is a person, which cannot appear at the bottom of an expense column.
Question 21 of 32 · medium
All equipment requests must go through the proper CHANNELS before they reach the director.
As used in this sentence, CHANNELS most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: official routes. The surrounding words (requests, proper, reach the director) are about an organization, not a place. CHANNELS therefore means official routes or procedures for communication.
A: Broadcast channels carry programs, which is not how equipment requests reach a director.
B: Grooves are a physical sense of channel that has no place in an approval process.
C (correct): Requests passing step by step toward the director follow formal procedures.
D: A channel can be a waterway, but paperwork does not travel by water.
Question 22 of 32 · medium
The bottling PLANT hired forty new workers to run its night shift.
As used in this sentence, PLANT most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: factory. "Bottling" and the hiring of workers for a shift show that PLANT names an industrial facility. The living-organism sense cannot hire anyone.
A: A plant can be a person secretly placed in a group, but a bottling plant that hires is a facility.
B: This is another living-organism sense, which does not fit a business that employs people.
C: A living plant cannot hire workers or run a night shift.
D (correct): A place that bottles drinks, hires workers and runs shifts is an industrial facility.
Question 23 of 32 · medium
The town library keeps every ISSUE of the local newspaper printed since 1950.
As used in this sentence, ISSUE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: edition. The library "keeps" each ISSUE "of the local newspaper printed since 1950," so the word names a particular printing of a publication. That is an edition.
A: Issuing can mean handing out, yet the library is storing printed copies, not handing them out.
B: A matter under discussion is an issue, but the sentence is about stored copies, not subjects.
C (correct): Each separately printed copy of a newspaper over the years is an edition.
D: An issue can be a problem, but a library does not collect problems of a newspaper.
Question 24 of 32 · medium
Several employees complained that the manager's TONE in the memo was sharp and impatient.
As used in this sentence, TONE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: attitude. TONE belongs to a written memo and is described as "sharp and impatient," words that describe feeling. TONE here means the attitude the writer expresses.
A: Tone can be a sound quality, but a written memo has no pitch.
B (correct): Sharp and impatient describe the feeling a writer expresses, which is tone as attitude.
C: Muscle tone is a fitness sense with no connection to a memo.
D: Tones of color apply to paint or images, not to the wording of a memo.
Question 25 of 32 · hard
Read both sentences.
A: The supervisor asked us to REGISTER each visitor at the front desk.
B: The shop's REGISTER jammed during the lunch rush, so the cashier wrote receipts by hand.
Which pair gives the meaning of REGISTER in Sentence A and then Sentence B?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: formally record; cash machine. In A, REGISTER is a verb with "each visitor" as its object, so it means enter in a formal record. In B, it is a noun that jams and replaces receipts, so it is a cash register. Only the pair that keeps that A-then-B order is right.
A: B is right, but register as a style of language does not fit signing in visitors in A.
B: A is right, but a list cannot jam or force a cashier to write receipts by hand in B.
C: Both meanings are right, but they are reversed; the order must match A then B.
D (correct): Visitors are entered into a record in A, and a device that jams and makes a cashier write receipts by hand in B is a cash register.
Question 26 of 32 · hard
Despite pressure from the larger crew, the safety officer HELD HER GROUND on the evacuation rule.
As used in this sentence, HELD HER GROUND most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: refused to back down. The phrase appears with "despite pressure" and "on the evacuation rule," so it is used as an idiom about a position in a disagreement. To hold your ground is to refuse to yield.
A (correct): The idiom means keeping a position in an argument instead of giving in to pressure.
B: This forces the literal image of standing still, but the sentence is about a rule under dispute.
C: Giving in is the opposite of holding firm against pressure.
D: Owning property is a literal reading of ground that has nothing to do with a safety rule.
Question 27 of 32 · hard
The chairperson ADJOURNED the hearing until nine o'clock Thursday morning.
As used in this sentence, ADJOURNED most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: suspended. The phrase "until nine o'clock Thursday morning" shows the hearing will resume. ADJOURNED therefore means suspended or paused, not canceled, which would add the unwanted idea of permanently ending it.
A: Opened is the reverse of adjourned, which ends or pauses a session.
B: Nothing in the sentence says the hearing moved to a new place, only that it will continue later.
C: Canceled overstates the meaning; a hearing set to resume Thursday has not been called off for good.
D (correct): Stopping the hearing until a stated later time means it was paused, to resume Thursday.
Question 28 of 32 · hard
The new overnight parking policy drew heavy FIRE from night-shift workers at the plant.
As used in this sentence, FIRE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: criticism. The source of the FIRE is a group of workers reacting to a policy, so the phrase is figurative. To draw fire is to attract criticism; flames, gunshots and job dismissal are real senses that do not fit this sentence.
A: Firing someone means dismissing them from a job, a real sense that does not fit a policy drawing fire.
B (correct): People who dislike a policy aim complaints at it, so drawing fire means attracting criticism.
C: This forces the literal image of burning, but a policy cannot catch fire.
D: Drawing fire can literally mean attracting shots in combat, but workers reacting to a policy are not shooting.
Question 29 of 32 · hard
When the new building opened, the inspector was CHARGED with checking every fire exit once a month.
As used in this sentence, CHARGED most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: given the duty. What follows "charged with" is a routine task, not a crime, so the sense is responsibility rather than accusation. The inspector was given the duty of checking the exits.
A: Charging a battery fills it with power, which makes no sense for a person assigned inspections.
B (correct): Being charged with a recurring task means being made responsible for carrying it out.
C: Charged with often goes with a crime, but checking fire exits is a job duty, not an offense.
D: Charging can mean billing someone for a fee, but the inspector is not paying for exit checks.
Question 30 of 32 · hard
Read both sentences.
A: At noon the sergeant will PRESENT the awards to the graduating class.
B: Only twelve recruits were PRESENT at the early roll call.
Which pair gives the meaning of PRESENT in Sentence A and then Sentence B?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: hand over; in attendance. In A, PRESENT follows "will" and takes "the awards" as its object, so it is a verb meaning hand over or give formally. In B, it describes recruits at roll call, so it means in attendance. Only the pair in that order works.
A (correct): In A the sergeant gives awards to the class, and in B recruits at roll call are there in person.
B: A is right, but at roll call present means physically there, not existing now.
C: B is right, but in A present follows "will" and is a verb, so the noun gift does not fit.
D: Both senses appear, but in the wrong order; A is the giving and B is the attendance.
Question 31 of 32 · hard
The final design STRUCK A BALANCE between low cost and passenger safety.
As used in this sentence, STRUCK A BALANCE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: found a fair compromise. The phrase links two competing goals, cost and safety, so it is used figuratively. To strike a balance is to settle on a fair compromise between them.
A: This takes strike and balance literally, which a design cannot do.
B (correct): The idiom means arriving at a reasonable middle ground between two competing needs.
C: Strike can mean find, and balance can mean money left over, but neither fits a design trade-off.
D: A design that weighs cost against safety settles on a middle point rather than avoiding a decision.
Question 32 of 32 · hard
Read both sentences.
A: Several neighbors OBJECT to the plan for a new cell tower.
B: A heavy OBJECT lodged in the pipe and blocked the drain.
Which pair gives the meaning of OBJECT in Sentence A and then Sentence B?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: oppose; physical item. In A, OBJECT is a verb followed by "to the plan," which signals opposition. In B, it follows "A heavy" and blocks a drain, so it is a physical item. The correct pair keeps that A-then-B order.
A (correct): In A, neighbors object to a plan, meaning they oppose it; in B, something that blocks a pipe is a physical thing.
B: Both meanings are correct, but they are swapped; the order must be A then B.
C: B is right, but object as a goal is a noun sense, and in A the neighbors are against the plan, not aiming for it.
D: A is right, but a purpose cannot lodge in a pipe and block a drain.
A: We found two empty seats in the front ROW of the theater.
B: The two cooks had a loud ROW over who would scrub the grill.
Which pair gives the meaning of ROW in Sentence A and then Sentence B?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: line; quarrel. In A, the partners "seats" and "of the theater" give a line. In B, "a loud row over" a chore is a quarrel. Check the order: line first, quarrel second.
A: Both meanings are right but in reverse order, the classic trap in two-sentence items.
B: Paddling a boat is a verb sense, but in B row is a noun after "a loud" with no boat.
C: A has no oars or boat; "front row of the theater" names a line of seats.
D (correct): A uses the sense rhyming with "go" (a line of seats), and B uses the sense rhyming with "cow" (a noisy argument).
Practice 2 of 38 · hard
The manager warned that anyone who clocks in late will have their pay DOCKED.
As used in this sentence, DOCKED most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: reduced. DOCKED is a verb acting on "pay," and "warned" plus "clocks in late" signal a penalty. Dock pay means reduce it; the pier sense is the familiar trap, and "delayed" changes the event.
A: Mooring at a pier is the boat sense of dock, which cannot apply to pay.
B: Late pay is a real worry, but docking pay means taking money off, not paying it later.
C (correct): To dock pay is to cut part of it as a penalty, which fits a warning about lateness.
D: Depositing pay is the normal outcome, not a penalty the manager would warn about.
Practice 3 of 38 · easy
Pull the tape off slowly so you do not TEAR the old wallpaper underneath.
As used in this sentence, TEAR most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: rip. TEAR here is a verb with the object "wallpaper," so it rhymes with "air" and means to rip. Swap it in: "so you do not rip the old wallpaper" keeps the meaning.
A (correct): Tape pulled too fast can rip the paper, and "rip" swaps cleanly into the sentence.
B: This is the sense that rhymes with "ear" (a drop from the eye), which makes no sense with wallpaper as the object.
C: Covering the wallpaper is not a risk of pulling tape off; the sentence warns about damage.
D: Smoothing would improve the wallpaper, but the warning "so you do not" points to harm.
Practice 4 of 38 · hard
The anchor line held FAST even as the waves grew taller.
As used in this sentence, FAST most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: firmly. After "held," FAST describes how the line stayed in place, and "even as the waves grew taller" shows strain it resisted. Fast here means firmly; quickly is the primary-definition trap.
A (correct): Held fast means stayed firmly in place, which fits an anchor line resisting rising waves.
B: Quickly is the familiar sense of fast, but "held quickly" makes no sense for a line that must stay put.
C: Loosely is the opposite; "even as the waves grew" stresses that the line did not give way.
D: Briefly suggests it soon failed, but nothing in the sentence says the line let go.
Practice 5 of 38 · medium
Supporters cheered the PASSAGE of the new highway safety bill by the state senate.
As used in this sentence, PASSAGE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: approval. The words attached to PASSAGE are "of the new highway safety bill" and "by the state senate," which describe lawmaking. Passage here means approval of the bill.
A: A passage can be a corridor, but supporters do not cheer a hallway of a bill.
B: A passage can be a section of text, yet senators vote on the whole bill, not a quoted piece.
C: A passage can be a trip, which does not connect to a bill or a senate.
D (correct): The partners "bill" and "by the state senate" point to a vote, so passage means approval.
Practice 6 of 38 · easy
After the flood, the muddy river BANK was littered with broken branches.
As used in this sentence, BANK most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: shore. The partner words "river" and "muddy" select the land sense of BANK. The ground beside a river is its shore, and "the muddy river shore" passes the substitution check.
A: A bank can be a financial company, but the partner word "river" rules out that familiar sense.
B: Deposit is connected to the money sense of bank and does not describe a place by a river.
C (correct): A river's bank is the land along its edge, so "river shore" fits the scene of flood debris.
D: A bridge crosses a river, but bank names the ground at the water's edge, not a structure.
Practice 7 of 38 · medium
The hardware store ran low on its STOCK of snow shovels after the blizzard.
As used in this sentence, STOCK most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: supply. The phrase "ran low on" and the store setting call for goods on hand. STOCK here means supply.
A: Shares of ownership are a stock sense tied to the market, not to shovels a store sells.
B: Livestock is a farm sense of stock and has nothing to do with snow shovels.
C (correct): A store's stock is the goods it keeps on hand, so "ran low on its supply" fits.
D: A store could raise its price, but you cannot "run low" on a price.
Practice 8 of 38 · hard
The RANK smell coming from the dumpster made the kitchen staff gag.
As used in this sentence, RANK most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: foul. RANK sits before "smell" as an adjective, and the result "made the kitchen staff gag" signals an awful odor. Rank here means foul; the military-level sense is a noun and does not fit.
A (correct): Rank as an adjective about odor means strong and offensive, which is why the staff gagged.
B: A faint smell would not make anyone gag, so this is the opposite of the clue.
C: Rank as a noun means an official level, as in military rank, which cannot describe a smell.
D: A familiar smell might be noticed, but the reaction "made the staff gag" shows disgust.
Practice 9 of 38 · medium
Colonel Ruiz was chosen to HEAD the new cyber training program.
As used in this sentence, HEAD most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: direct. HEAD follows "to," so it is a verb, and its object is a program. Being chosen to head a program means being put in charge, so the word means direct.
A: Top part is the noun sense, but "to head" uses the word as a verb with an object.
B: Attending would make the colonel a participant, while "was chosen to" signals a leadership role.
C (correct): To head a program is to be in charge of it, and "chosen to direct the program" fits.
D: "Head toward" means move in a direction, but here there is no "toward" and the object is a program.
Practice 10 of 38 · easy
Her uncle works as an engineer for a large construction FIRM in Denver.
As used in this sentence, FIRM most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: company. FIRM follows "a large construction," so it is a noun naming the employer. A firm is a business: "works for a large construction company."
A: Solid matches the adjective sense of firm, but here the word is a noun after "large construction."
B (correct): A firm is a business, and "a large construction company" keeps the sentence's meaning.
C: Steady is another adjective sense of firm and cannot name the place someone works for.
D: A contract is an agreement a business signs, not the business itself that employs the engineer.
Practice 11 of 38 · easy
The sentry was ordered not to leave his POST until the next guard arrived.
As used in this sentence, POST most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: assigned station. The partners "sentry," "leave," and "next guard arrived" point to a place of duty. POST here means assigned station.
A: Mail delivery is a common meaning of post, but a sentry cannot leave his mail delivery while on duty.
B: A post can be an upright pole, yet the order is about where the sentry stands watch.
C: Posting a message online is a different sense; a guard does not stand at a message.
D (correct): A sentry's post is the spot he is assigned to guard, which matches "not to leave" until relieved.
Practice 12 of 38 · medium
The diner on Route 9 has been RUN by the same family for three generations.
As used in this sentence, RUN most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: managed. The word's object is "the diner," a business, and "by the same family" names the people in charge. Run a business means manage it.
A: Sprinting is the familiar sense of run, but a family cannot sprint a diner.
B: Water can run, yet a diner is not a liquid.
C: A road can run a distance, but the object here is a business.
D (correct): To run a business is to operate it, and "managed by the same family" fits.
Practice 13 of 38 · medium
After checking for cracks, the inspector declared the old bridge structurally SOUND.
As used in this sentence, SOUND most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: solid. The collocation "structurally sound" plus "after checking for cracks" points to condition, not noise. SOUND here means solid and free of defects.
A: Sound as a noun is something you hear, but "structurally sound" describes the bridge's condition.
B (correct): Sound as an adjective means in good condition, and "structurally solid" fits an inspection with no cracks.
C: Fragile is the opposite of what an inspector would declare about a bridge that passed a crack check.
D: The bridge is old, but "structurally" describes its strength, not its age.
Practice 14 of 38 · easy
Twice a year the office holds a fire DRILL so everyone learns the exit routes.
As used in this sentence, DRILL most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: practice exercise. The collocation "fire drill" plus the purpose "so everyone learns the exit routes" signal rehearsal. DRILL here means a practice exercise.
A: A drill can be a tool for making holes, but "fire drill" and "learns the exit routes" point to training.
B (correct): A fire drill is a rehearsal of an evacuation, so "practice exercise" fits the purpose of learning exits.
C: An actual fire would not be scheduled twice a year; the drill imitates one for practice.
D: An inspection checks equipment, while the sentence says people practice the exit routes.
Practice 15 of 38 · medium
The RELIEF crew arrived at midnight so the first shift could finally go home.
As used in this sentence, RELIEF most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: replacement. RELIEF is used before "crew," and the result "so the first shift could go home" shows one group taking over for another. Relief here means replacement.
A (correct): A relief crew takes over from workers on duty, which is why the first shift can go home.
B: Relief often means a feeling of ease, but a crew is people, not a feeling.
C: Relief can mean carving that stands out from a surface, an art sense with no link to shifts.
D: A celebration crew does not explain why the first shift may leave.
Practice 16 of 38 · medium
Firefighters dug a trench to CHECK the spread of the brush fire.
As used in this sentence, CHECK most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: halt. The object of CHECK is "the spread," and the tool is a trench, which blocks fire. Check here means halt; inspect is the primary-definition trap.
A: Inspect is the everyday sense of check, but a trench stops a fire rather than examining it.
B (correct): A trench blocks a fire's path, so "to halt the spread" is exactly the purpose.
C: Checking off or marking an item fits a list, not a spreading fire.
D: Testing would study the fire; digging a trench is done to stop it.
Practice 17 of 38 · medium
The MEAN of the five quiz scores was 84.
As used in this sentence, MEAN most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: average. MEAN follows "the" and is linked to "of the five quiz scores," a math setting. The mean is the average: add the scores and divide by how many there are.
A: Unkind is the adjective sense of mean, but here mean is a noun after "the."
B (correct): In math, the mean of a set of scores is their average, which fits "of the five quiz scores."
C: Intent connects to the verb mean (to intend), which does not fit a set of scores.
D: The lowest score is the minimum, not a single number describing all five scores together.
Practice 18 of 38 · medium
Doctors said the soldier's injuries were GRAVE and needed immediate surgery.
As used in this sentence, GRAVE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: serious. GRAVE comes after "were," so it is an adjective describing the injuries, and "needed immediate surgery" signals danger. Grave here means serious.
A (correct): Grave as an adjective means very serious, which explains the need for immediate surgery.
B: A grave is a burial place, a noun sense that cannot describe injuries.
C: Minor is the opposite; minor injuries would not need immediate surgery.
D: Visible describes whether something can be seen, not how dangerous it is.
Practice 19 of 38 · easy
The RACKET from the jackhammers outside made it hard to hear the phone.
As used in this sentence, RACKET most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: loud noise. The result "made it hard to hear the phone" tells you RACKET is about sound. A racket from jackhammers is a loud noise.
A: A racket can be a strung paddle used in tennis, but jackhammers do not produce one.
B: Racket can mean a dishonest business, a real meaning that does not fit jackhammers or hearing.
C: Jackhammers do create dust, but dust would not make it hard to hear a phone.
D (correct): Jackhammers are noisy, and a loud noise is exactly what would drown out a phone.
Practice 20 of 38 · medium
Rainwater collected in a shallow DEPRESSION in the parking lot.
As used in this sentence, DEPRESSION most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: hollow. The partners "rainwater collected," "shallow," and "in the parking lot" describe a physical low spot. DEPRESSION here means a hollow.
A: Depression can mean low mood, but water cannot collect in a feeling.
B (correct): A shallow sunken spot where water pools is a hollow, which fits the parking lot.
C: An economic depression is a downturn, a sense unrelated to rainwater.
D: A ridge is a raised strip, the opposite shape; water runs off a ridge rather than collecting.
Practice 21 of 38 · medium
The summer job at the ranch offered a small salary plus room and BOARD.
As used in this sentence, BOARD most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: meals. The fixed pairing "room and board" selects the sense of BOARD meaning food provided with lodging. Board here means meals.
A: A board is a piece of lumber, but a job would not pay workers in planks.
B: A board can be a governing group, which is not something a job offers as pay.
C (correct): The collocation "room and board" means a place to sleep and daily meals.
D: Boarding a bus or plane is a different sense; "room and board" does not mean travel.
Practice 22 of 38 · easy
Our husky SHEDS so much fur in spring that we vacuum every day.
As used in this sentence, SHEDS most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: loses. SHEDS is a verb with the object "fur," and the daily vacuuming shows fur falling out. Sheds here means loses.
A (correct): Dogs drop old fur in spring, so "loses so much fur" matches the need to vacuum daily.
B: Shed as a noun is a storage hut, but here the word is a verb with the object "fur."
C: Growing fur would not leave hair on the floor; the daily vacuuming shows fur coming off.
D: Brushing is something an owner does to a dog, not what the dog does to its own fur.
Practice 23 of 38 · medium
Even after three failed attempts, her RESOLVE to pass the fitness test never weakened.
As used in this sentence, RESOLVE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: determination. After "her," RESOLVE is a noun, and "never weakened" after failures describes willpower. Resolve here means determination.
A (correct): As a noun, resolve means firm purpose, and "her determination never weakened" fits.
B: Resolve as a verb can mean to solve a problem, but here it is a noun after "her" describing her attitude.
C: Doubt is nearly the opposite; the sentence stresses that her will stayed strong.
D: A training schedule might plan for the test, but a schedule does not weaken after failed attempts.
Practice 24 of 38 · medium
The homeowner filed a SUIT against the roofer for faulty work.
As used in this sentence, SUIT most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: lawsuit. The collocation "filed a suit against" plus "faulty work" points to a legal claim. SUIT here means a lawsuit.
A: A suit of clothes is the familiar sense, but no one files clothing against a roofer.
B: Suit can mean one of the four sets in a deck of cards, which has no place here.
C: To suit can mean to fit or match, a verb sense; here suit is a noun after "filed a."
D (correct): "Filed a suit against" is legal language, so suit means a lawsuit.
Practice 25 of 38 · hard
As the neighborhood grew popular, their house APPRECIATED 20 percent in five years.
As used in this sentence, APPRECIATED most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: increased in value. APPRECIATED is measured by "20 percent," so it describes a change in worth, and "grew popular" tells the direction. Appreciate here means increase in value.
A (correct): For property, appreciate means to rise in worth, which fits a 20 percent change as demand grew.
B: Being thanked is the everyday sense of appreciate, but a house cannot be thanked by 20 percent.
C: Appreciate can mean understand fully, but understanding cannot be measured as a percent of a house.
D: Dropping in value is depreciation, the opposite; a popular neighborhood pushes prices up.
Practice 26 of 38 · medium
Mason continued to HARBOR doubts about the plan, though he said nothing at the meeting.
As used in this sentence, HARBOR most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: hold onto. HARBOR is a verb whose object is "doubts," and "continued to" plus "said nothing" show he kept them to himself. Harbor here means hold onto.
A: A harbor is a sheltered port for ships, a noun sense; here harbor is a verb with the object "doubts."
B: Expressing doubts openly is the opposite here, since he said nothing; harbor means keep inside.
C: Dismissing doubts would end them, but "continued to" shows he kept them.
D (correct): To harbor a feeling is to keep it privately, which matches "continued to" and saying nothing.
Practice 27 of 38 · medium
Snow slides off quickly because the cabin roof has a steep PITCH.
As used in this sentence, PITCH most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: slope. The modifier "steep" and the result "snow slides off" describe an angle. PITCH of a roof means its slope; tar is the near trap because it is also a roofing word.
A: A pitch can be a throw in baseball, but a roof does not throw anything.
B: Pitch can be a sticky tar used on roofs, but "steep" cannot describe tar.
C: Pitch can mean how high or low a sound is, which does not fit a roof.
D (correct): The pitch of a roof is its slant, and a steep slope lets snow slip off.
Practice 28 of 38 · hard
By the final mile of the ruck march, the recruits' energy began to FLAG.
As used in this sentence, FLAG most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: weaken. FLAG is a verb with "energy" as its subject, and "the final mile of the ruck march" suggests fatigue. Flag here means weaken.
A (correct): As a verb, flag can mean to tire or droop, which fits energy near the end of a long march.
B: A flag waves, but energy does not wave; this mixes up the noun with the verb sense.
C: To flag down a vehicle means to signal, which does not fit energy as the subject.
D: Rise is close to the opposite; the final mile of a hard march wears people down.
Practice 29 of 38 · hard
The owners agreed to ENTERTAIN offers from other buyers before signing the sale contract.
As used in this sentence, ENTERTAIN most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: consider. ENTERTAIN takes the object "offers," and "before signing" shows the owners are still weighing other bids. Entertain here means consider.
A (correct): To entertain an offer is to think it over, which fits owners not yet committed to a contract.
B: Amuse is the familiar sense, but offers are not an audience to keep amused.
C: Hosting fits guests at a party, not offers from buyers.
D: Turning down offers is the opposite of agreeing to entertain them before signing.
Practice 30 of 38 · easy
According to the CURRENT schedule, the dining hall closes at 1900 on weekends.
As used in this sentence, CURRENT most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: present. CURRENT sits before the noun "schedule," so it is the adjective meaning in effect now. "According to the present schedule" keeps the meaning.
A: Current as a noun names a flow of water or electricity, but here it is an adjective before "schedule."
B: Electric current is a noun sense; a schedule has nothing to do with electricity.
C (correct): Placed before a noun, current means the one in effect now, so "the present schedule" fits.
D: Former is close to the opposite; a former schedule would no longer tell you closing times.
Practice 31 of 38 · medium
When he heard a noise, the guard TRAINED his flashlight on the open gate.
As used in this sentence, TRAINED most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: aimed. TRAINED has the object "flashlight" and the phrase "on the open gate" shows direction. Train here means aim; taught is the primary-definition trap.
A: Taught is the familiar sense, but a flashlight cannot be taught.
B (correct): To train a light on something is to point it there, and "aimed his flashlight on the gate" fits.
C: Switching on a light is a different action; "trained on the open gate" tells where the beam went.
D: Practicing is part of training a skill, which does not fit an object like a flashlight.
Practice 32 of 38 · hard
The witness later QUALIFIED her statement, adding that she was only fairly sure the truck had arrived at noon.
As used in this sentence, QUALIFIED most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: limited with conditions. Qualify has two common senses: to meet requirements, and to limit or soften a statement. The object here is her statement, and the added words only fairly sure narrow it, so the meaning is limited with conditions. Choosing met the requirements for is the primary-definition trap.
A: This is the most familiar sense, as in qualifying for a job, but a statement cannot meet requirements.
B: Saying she was only fairly sure weakens her claim rather than confirming it.
C (correct): Adding that she was only fairly sure narrows and softens the statement, which is this sense of qualify.
D: She kept the statement but added a limit; she did not take it back.
Practice 33 of 38 · hard
The league SANCTIONED the club for using an ineligible player, fining it $50,000.
As used in this sentence, SANCTIONED most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: penalized. SANCTIONED has two nearly opposite senses, approve and punish. The clues "for using an ineligible player" and "fining it $50,000" select the punishment sense: penalized.
A: Sanction can also mean to approve officially, but the fine and "for using an ineligible player" show punishment.
B (correct): A fine for breaking a rule is a penalty, so "penalized the club" fits.
C: Sponsoring means backing with money, the reverse of taking $50,000 from the club.
D: An investigation might come first, but fining the club shows the league acted, not just looked into it.
Practice 34 of 38 · easy
Before the convoy departs, the lieutenant will BRIEF the drivers on the route.
As used in this sentence, BRIEF most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: inform. After "will," BRIEF is a verb, and "the drivers on the route" shows information being passed. Brief here means inform.
A: Short is the adjective meaning of brief, but "will brief the drivers" uses the word as a verb.
B: Shortening the drivers makes no sense; the lieutenant is giving them route information.
C: Dismissing the drivers would send them away, while "on the route" shows they are being told something.
D (correct): To brief someone is to give them key facts, and "inform the drivers on the route" fits the mission setting.
Practice 35 of 38 · medium
The new software caused a HOST of problems for the payroll office.
As used in this sentence, HOST most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: large number. The pattern "a host of" plus a plural noun works like "a lot of." HOST here means a large number.
A: A host can be a person who welcomes guests, but software does not cause a party giver.
B: A small set is close to the opposite; "a host of" stresses that there were many.
C (correct): The phrase "a host of" means a great many, so "a large number of problems" fits.
D: A host can be a networked computer, but here the word is followed by "of problems," which counts them.
Practice 36 of 38 · hard
Read both sentences.
A: Remember to WIND the garden hose onto its reel after watering.
B: A cold WIND swept across the airfield all morning.
Which pair gives the meaning of WIND in Sentence A and then Sentence B?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: coil; moving air. In A, WIND is a verb with the object "hose" and "onto its reel," so it means coil. In B, "a cold wind swept" is the noun for moving air. Keep the order: coil, then moving air.
A: Both meanings are correct, but in reverse order; A is the verb and B is the noun.
B: Loosening is the opposite of winding a hose onto a reel.
C: A is right, but in B wind is a noun after "a cold," naming moving air, not a twisting motion.
D (correct): In A, wind rhymes with "find" and means to coil the hose; in B, it is the noun for moving air.
Practice 37 of 38 · medium
Applicants for the interpreter job must have a strong COMMAND of Korean.
As used in this sentence, COMMAND most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: mastery. The partners "strong" and "of Korean" in a job requirement describe skill. COMMAND here means mastery.
A: A command can be an order, but you cannot have a strong order of a language.
B: A command can be a military unit, which does not fit an interpreter's language skill.
C (correct): A strong command of a language is a high level of skill, so mastery fits.
D: Interest in Korean would not qualify someone to interpret; the job needs skill.
Practice 38 of 38 · easy
After the long march, the recruits returned to their QUARTERS to rest.
As used in this sentence, QUARTERS most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: living space. "Returned to" and "to rest" show QUARTERS is a place people live. In military life, quarters means living space.
A: Quarters can be 25-cent coins, but recruits do not return to coins to rest.
B (correct): Quarters are lodgings, and "returned to their living space to rest" fits the military setting.
C: Quarters can be four equal parts, a math sense that does not name a place.
D: A drill field is where recruits train, not where they go to rest after marching.
About this test
Every answer has an explanation that names the clue that selects the sense, whether a part of speech, a collocation or a nearby detail, and shows why the other meanings, though real, do not fit this sentence.
Read your results by word family. Repeated misses on the same kind of clue suggest rereading the sections on grammar as evidence and collocations; picking a common meaning over the intended one suggests revisiting the primary-definition trap. For further practice, 38 extra questions connected to this lesson follow the lesson test.
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