(1) a grain of rice
(2) boiled/steamed/fried rice
(3) long-/short-grain rice

(1) join one section of pipe to the next.
(2) join the two sections of pipe together.
(3) The island is joined to the mainland by a bridge.

(1) a gas/wood-burning stove
(2) She put a pan of water on the stove.
(3) (North Amercian English,British English)Most people don't want to spend hours slaving over a hot stove (= cooking) .

(1) She found it extremely difficult to get a job.
(2) extremely important/useful/complicated
(3) My mobile phone is extremely useful...

(1) enemy/disputed/foreign territory
(2) occupied territories
(3) They have refused to allow UN troops to be stationed in their territory.

(1) childish handwriting
(2) Don't be so childish!
(3) to behave childishly

(1) to crack a nut (= open it)
(2) a Brazil nut
(3) a hazelnut

(1) different racial types
(2) a rare blood type
(3) There are three main types of contract(s).

(1) A strange thing happened this morning.
(2) She was looking at me in a very strange way.
(3) It's strange (that) we haven't heard from him.

(1) I don't agree with her, but I admire her for sticking to her principles.
(2) He stood back to admire his handiwork.
(3) She was used to receiving admiring glances from men.

(1) medical staff
(2) (British English)teaching staff
(3) (British English)We have 20 part-time members of staff .

(1) She swung herself into the saddle.
(2) Three weeks after the accident he was back in the saddle.
(3) I've been saddled with organizing the conference.

(1) He was offered money to betray his colleagues.
(2) She felt betrayed when she found out the truth about him.
(3) She betrayed his trust over and over again.

(1) a memorable phrase
(2) She was, in her own favourite phrase, ‘a woman without a past ’.
(3) a carefully phrased remark

(1) We hung her portrait above the fireplace.
(2) At that time you could hang for stealing.
(3) She had committed suicide by hanging herself from a beam.

(1) The new system expanded the role of family doctors.
(2) There are no plans to expand the local airport.
(3) We've expanded the business by opening two more stores.

(1) a capped mortgage
(2) What an amazing story. Can anyone cap that?
(3) He's had his front teeth capped.

(1) We had to accustom ourselves to cold weather.
(2) It took a while for her eyes to accustom themselves to the dark.
(3) Children are quick to accustom themselves to new surroundings.

(1) ...the eighth prime minister of India.
(2) The Kuban produces an eighth of Russia's grain, meat and milk.
(3) Schools are urged to prepare more students to algebra by the eighth grade.

(1) a bomb disposal squad
(2) sewage disposal systems
(3) the disposal of nuclear waste

(1) a dynamic personality
(2) the dynamics of political change
(3) group dynamics (= the way in which members of a group react to each other)

(1) nobody knew what to say.
(2) She rose from being a nobody to become a superstar.
(3) They were shut away in a little room where nobody could overhear...

(1) Help yourself to a clean towel.
(2) a hand/bath towel (= a small/large towel)
(3) a beach towel (= a large towel used for lying on in the sun)

(1) The male bird is easily distinguishable from the female.
(2) The coast was barely distinguishable in the mist.
(3) She has already distinguished herself as an athlete.

(1) We caught her peeping through the keyhole.
(2) He was peeping at her through his fingers.
(3) Could I just peep inside?

(1) The challenge for American leadership is this: Can we put our economic house in order?...
(2) Some think Stempel's departure will help the company get its financial house in order...
(3) The owner knew about the engagement and brought them glasses of champagne on the house.

(1) Add an egg yolk to make the mixture bind.
(2) Add an egg yolk to bind the mixture together.
(3) two volumes bound in leather

(1) a slab/block of marble
(2) a marble floor/sculpture
(3) Three boys were playing marbles.

(1) the tiny yellow flame of a match
(2) The flames were growing higher and higher.
(3) The building was in flames (= was burning) .

(1) The manuscript is just one of the treasures in their possession .
(2) The gang was caught in possession of stolen goods.
(3) The possession of a passport is essential for foreign travel.

(1) rat poison
(2) Where I come from, you don't rat on your friends.
(3) The government is accused of ratting on its promises to the unemployed.

(1) They were the broom and spent the first hours of their business lives the office.
(2) Mrs. Tittlemouse looked at her severely. She wished that she had a broom.
(3) I can't sweep without a broom.

(1) historically, there has always been a great deal of rivalry between the two families.
(2) The book is historically inaccurate.
(3) a historical novel

(1) What percentage of the population is/are overweight?
(2) A high percentage of the female staff are part-time workers.
(3) Interest rates are expected to rise by one percentage point (= one per cent) .

(1) to dance to the rhythm of the music
(2) music with a fast/slow/steady rhythm
(3) jazz rhythms

(1) He drove too fast with tragic consequences.
(2) to suffer/face/take the consequences of your actions
(3) Don't worry. It's of no consequence .

(1) a High Court judge
(2) a federal judge
(3) The case comes before judge Cooper next week.

(1) Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface.
(2) Lightly flour a rolling pin...
(3) Remove the dough from the bowl and put it on a floured surface.

(1) an economic miracle
(2) It's a miracle (that) nobody was killed in the crash.
(3) It would take a miracle to make this business profitable.

(1) hot/cold/wet/fine/summer/windy, etc. weather
(2) Did you have good weather on your trip?
(3) I'm not going out in this weather!