Cognitive aptitude tests and some verbal tests include short vocabulary items: which word means the same, which means the opposite, and analogies like "glove is to hand as sock is to foot".
For synonyms and opposites, put the test word in a short sentence first, then try each option in its place. "The office was vacant all summer" makes it clear that vacant means empty. Watch for the trap option that means the reverse of what is asked: tests put the opposite among the synonym options and the synonym among the opposites.
For analogies, name the link between the first pair in a few words: "is worn on", "is a group of", "is used to". Then apply exactly that link to the second pair. The wrong options often repeat a word from the first pair or fit a looser link.
Words with more than one meaning need their sentence. Fine can mean good or a penalty; only the sentence tells you which.