Closest Meaning & Two Groups
Sort words into two groups based on meaning.
What is Closest Meaning & Two Groups?
These questions give you a set of words and ask you to sort them into two groups. The words in each group will share a common meaning or theme. Sometimes you are also asked to find which word from a list is closest in meaning to a given word.
These questions test your vocabulary and your ability to see subtle differences between word meanings. You need to think carefully about what each word really means.
Step-by-Step Method
Read all words carefully
Go through every word and make sure you understand its meaning. Look up or think carefully about any word you are unsure of.
Identify possible themes
Think about what two categories could work. Are some words about size and others about speed? Some about happiness and others about sadness?
Sort into groups
Place each word into the group it fits best. Every word should go in one group or the other.
Check your groups
Read through each group. Do all the words share the same theme? If one does not fit, reconsider your groupings.
Worked Examples
Sort these words into two groups: huge, tiny, enormous, small, massive, little
Working
- Look for two themes: some mean big, some mean small.
- Big group: huge, enormous, massive
- Small group: tiny, small, little
Sort these words into two groups: sprint, crawl, dash, creep, race, plod
Working
- These are all ways of moving, but at different speeds.
- Fast group: sprint, dash, race
- Slow group: crawl, creep, plod
Common Mistakes
Grouping words by their first letter or how they sound instead of what they mean.
Focus entirely on meaning. Read each word and think about what it describes.
Forcing a word into a group even though it does not quite fit.
If a word does not seem to fit, reconsider your two themes – you might have the wrong grouping.
Top Tips
- Start with the words you are most confident about and place them first.
- If you spot two words that are clear synonyms, they belong in the same group.
- If you spot two words that are clear antonyms, they belong in different groups.
- Think about whether words are positive/negative, fast/slow, big/small, or old/new.
Ready to practise?
Put these techniques into action with our free practice papers.
Practise Verbal Reasoning Questions