Determining the Meaning of Words from Context

Name:______

Determining the Meaning of Words from Context

Directions: Identify the italicized word and, using the context around the word, pick one of the following choices to write as its meaning. Each will only be used once. YES, YOU DO HAVE THE WRITE THE WHOLE ANSWER!

Definitions to choose from:

perfectly clean; without a spot or stain
easily tricked; foolish
the claw of a hunting predator
to run at full speed; dash
very honest or frank; truthful
fighting; aggressive
to make worse or more troublesome
a greenhouse for growing and showing plants
to make unfriendly; turn away
took a winding course
things that contaminate or make unclean
smart or mature beyond one’s years
very respectful
mild; not punishing or harsh; merciful
a long period of dry weather; lack of rain

In his meeting with the Queen, the Prime Minister was deferential. He spoke courteously, listened politely, and showed respect for her judgments and opinions.

Meaning:______

The doctor told Audrey that exercise would not improve the condition of her knee; on the contrary, it would probably aggravate it.

Meaning:______

Although the principal was known for giving strict punishments, this time he was lenient with the offending student.

Meaning:______

As a result of the pollutants in the stream, we could not drink the water or swim.

Meaning:______

The osprey’s talon, which resembles an eagle’s claw, is an efficient hunting weapon.

Meaning:______

Instead of answering Robin in a flattering or insincere way, Helen decided to be quite candid and to tell him just what she thought.

Meaning:______

Though not stupid, Andy is rather gullible; that is, he believes just about anything we tell him.

Meaning:______

Jake managed to alienate all of his friends. He refused their offers of help, accused them of meddling, and began spreading false rumors about them. In the end, no friends would even speak to him.

Meaning:______

The teacher said that belligerent actions, such as punching and shoving, would not be permitted.

Meaning:______

The child was always precocious. She was walking at the age of eight months, putting sentences together at age two, and playing tunes on the piano when she was four. She even got chicken pox early.

Meaning:______

As a result of the drought, the ground was dry and cracked, the grass was brown, and the plants were wilted.

Meaning:______

Unlike her truck, which was covered with dust and grime, Sharon’s car was always immaculate.

Meaning:______

The conservatory, a large, glass-enclosed building filled with flowers and other plants, was a popular tourist attraction.

Meaning:______

The river meandered back and forth like a snake winding along the ground.

Meaning:______

In the same way that a deer runs at the sound of a gunshot, Carlos sprints away whenever anyone mentions chores.

Meaning:______

Pick the best answer to correctly define the italicized word:

People generally associate pyramids with Egypt, and the Eiffel Tower with Paris.
rememberb. connectc. examined. confuse

When the new supermarket opened in the neighborhood, Jack’s Corner Store went bankrupt because so much business was lost to the competition.
was ruined financiallyb. was successfulc. put more money in the bankd. not affected

Inquisitive children are always asking “How?” or “Why?”
troublesomeb. questioningc. unfortunated. rude

The outside of the house was ordinary, but the interior was full of lovely antiques.
insideb. yardc. cellard. exterior

The rock singer’s flamboyant costume included a silver shirt, purple leather pants, and gold boots.
dignifiedb. plainc. inexpensived. flashy

The doctor told him that smoking would have drastic consequences for his health because of its many harmful side effects.
enjoyableb. minorc. severed. positive

Some people assume Romeo and Juliet were real people. But they were fictional characters in one of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays.
made-upb. realisticc. youthfuld. romantic

My history teacher, Ms. Martinez, is a humorist who often tells funny stories in class just to make a point or to spark interest in the subject.
a serious personb. an amusing personc. an unpredictable persond. a hard grader

Pearl Buck was not only a famous author but also a humanitarian; she gave millions of dollars and countless hours of her time to serve the needy.
philosopherb. writerc. teacherd. a person who helps others

Strategies for Unlocking Word Meaning

Determine a Word’s Meaning from Context

Context refers to the words or sentences before or after a certain word that help to explain what the word means. There are several kinds of context clues you can look for, including: definition and restatement, example, comparison, contrast, and cause and effect.

1.)DEFINITION AND RESTATEMENT—the author will directly define a word in the text OR the author will restate the meaning in a different way (other than a dictionary definition).

Author defines: Ex. The building was designed in the form of a hexagon, a shape having six angles and six sides.

Author restates meaning: Ex. The snowstorm in June was a real anomaly: nothing like that had ever happened before.

Words the signalDefinition and Restatement include:

which is
or
also known as
that is
in other words
also called

2.)EXAMPLE—The author will include an example of the word that contain clues to its meaning.

Ex. The percussion instruments in the orchestra include various kinds of drums and also cymbals, bells, the triangle, the gong, and the tambourine.

Words that signal Example include:

like
including
such as
for example
for instance
especially
other
this
these
these include

3.)COMPARISON—The writer compares the word in question with another, more familiar word. By noting the similarities between the things described, you can get an idea of the meaning of the unfamiliar word.

Ex. Jeff’s compassion for the earthquake victims, like his feelings of sorrow for the homeless, shows that he cares about others.

Words that signal Comparison include:

like
as
in the same way
similar to
resembling
likewise
similarly
also
identical
related

4.)CONTRAST—The writer may show the meaning of a word through contrast or pointing out what is different.

Ex. I thought she would be clumsy with the tools during her first day on the job, but she handled them with great dexterity.

Words that signal a Contrast include:

but
although
on the contrary
on the other hand
unlike
in contrast to
instead
different
however

5.)CAUSE AND EFFECT—The author will show how the cause of an action or event may be stated using an unfamiliar word. If, however, the effect is stated in familiar terms, it can help you understand the unfamiliar word.

Ex. Because the old building had become dilapidated, we had to spend a lot of time and money on repairs.

Words that signal Cause and Effect include:

because
since
consequently
therefore
so
as a result

6.)INFERENCE FROM GENERAL CONTEXT—Often the clues to an unfamiliar word is not in the same sentence. In such cases you will need to look at the sentences that surround the word and infer, or draw conclusions about the word’s meaning. A single piece of information several sentences away from the unfamiliar word may unlock the meaning.

Ex. Roy used to be a pugnacious character, but over the years he seems to have mellowed. He has more self-confidence now and doesn’t need to prove himself all the time. But when I first knew him he seemed to have a chip on his shoulder—he was always itching for a fight.

Sometimes the supporting details in a paragraph must be examined together to help you infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

Ex. We had a rather garrulous cab driver. He talked about anything that came into his head: sports, politics, traffic, the state of his health. He carried on endlessly about the weather. When we finally left him, he was describing each of his seven grandchildren in detail.