Context Clues

BIBLE PASSAGE
Genesis 1:27
PONDER ON THIS!
When can you say that

you are becoming an
image of God?
PONDER ON THIS!
Why is it important to
act in accordance to
how we are created?
RESPONSE SHARING
What are the things that you
do to find out the meaning
of words / phrases that are
unfamiliar to you?
RESPONSE SHARING
If there is no available
resource (dictionary,
internet, etc.), how do you
try to find out what a word /
phrase means?
LESSON RECALL
Image Prompting
Context Clues
EXAMPLES:
when a reader finds a new word, an

example might be found nearby that
helps to explain its meaning. Words like
including, such as, and for example, point
out example clues.
Piscatorial creatures, such as flounder,

salmon, and trout, live in the coldest parts of
the ocean.
piscatorial = Referring to fish

DEFINITION/DESCRIPTION:
The new term may be formally defined,

or sufficient explanation may be given
within the sentence or in the following
sentence. Clues to definition include “that
is,” commas, dashes, and parentheses.
His emaciation, that is, his skeleton-like

appearance, was frightening to see.
emaciation= Skeleton-like appearance

SYNONYMS/RESTATEMENT:
The reader may discover the meaning

of an unknown word because it repeats an
idea expressed in familiar words nearby.
Synonyms are words with the same
meaning.
The mountain pass was a tortuous road,

winding and twisting like a snake around the
trees of the mountainside.
tortuous = Winding and twisting

ANTONYMS/CONTRAST:
An opposite meaning context clue

contrasts the meaning of an unfamiliar
word with the meaning of a familiar term.
Words like “although,” “however,” and
“but” may signal contrast clues.
When the light brightens, the pupils of the

eyes contract; however, when it grows darker,
they dilate.
dilate = Opposite of contract; expand

GENERAL CLUES:
Sufficient clues might be available for

the careful reader to make an educated
guess at the meaning.
. She told her friend, “I’m through with blind

dates forever. What a dull evening! I was bored
every minute. The conversation was absolutely
vapid.”
vapid = uninteresting; boring; dull

Sentence Drill
#1
Julie bought a gift for her mom at a
cart in the mall. The kiosk sells
special chocolate candies.
• Car
• Cart
• Office
• Department
#2
I ate a portion of everything on my plate
when I ate a small piece of meat, a small
piece of bread, and a small piece of
chocolate pie.
• Piece
• Whole
• Spoiled
• Complete
#3
Birds that migrate, such as
some ducks and geese, leave
their home in the winter.
• Flying
• To move
• Swimming
#4
There are many forms of
transportation, such as a bus, a car,
or a train, that can get you to the zoo.
• Toys for children
• Times of the ancient
• Animals brought from the zoo
• System for moving people / things
#5
A limerick is a fun way to use
words. You can make up poems,
rhymes, and songs.
• Text
• Copy
• Verse
• Report
#6
Precipitation, such as rain and
snow, falls from the sky.
• Thunder
• Lightning
• Water that falls from the sky
#7
Our country's highest politician, the
president, has the job of making sure
our country stays safe.
• Man
• Boss
• Golfer
• Elected person
#8
Nutritious foods, such as fruits
and vegetables, help our bodies
grow.
• Yucky
• Boring
• Fitness
• Healthy
SEATWORK
1. Our baseball team's pitcher has a
few eccentric habits, such as throwing exactly
thirteen warm-up pitches and never wearing socks.
A) normal
B) strange
C) messy
2. After the heavy rains, the stream became murky;

in fact, the water was so cloudy you couldn't see
the bottom.
A) cloudy
B) bottomless
C) clear
3. The debris on the stadium floor included
numerous paper cups, ticket stubs, and cigarette
butts.
A) products
B) papers
C) trash
4. The coach takes every opportunity to censure his

players, yet he ignores every opportunity to praise
them.
A) approve of
B) criticize
C) choose
5. The newlyweds agreed to be very frugal in their
shopping because they wanted to save enough
money to buy a house.
A) economical
B) wasteful
C) interested
6. Although Alex usually looks unkempt, he had a

very neat appearance at his job interview.
A) orderly
B) handsome
C) messy
In the sentences below, which type of context clue
is provided for the underlined word?
7. I'm looking for a unique gift for my boyfriend;
he appreciates unusual things.
A) example
B) synonym
C) antonym / contrast
8. Expecting that his license would be renewed,
the pilot was surprised when it
was revoked instead.
A) example
B) synonym
C) antonym
QUIZ
Directions: Use the context clue or clues
in the sentence or passage to define
the italicized word. Then choose the best
definition by circling the appropriate
letter.
Note: Occasionally, there might be two
answers that seem to fit the context, but one
will be better than the other. Pay careful
attention to the context when you select
one.
1. The playwright was used to receiving
nothing but accolades from the critics, but
this time around, the critics panned
everything about the play, calling it
uninspired and boring.
a. expressions of disapproval
b. expressions of approval
c. unwanted advice
2. Writers who don't read much generally
don't know when they are using clichés; they
tend to think that expressions such as "eyes
like stars," "lips like roses" and "lemon-
yellow" daffodils originated with them.
a. original phrases
b. grammatical errors
c. unoriginal language
3. Because she had never learned to think about
the consequences of her actions, her behavior
tended to be capricious. One moment, she was
going to marry and have a big family; the next
she wanted to dedicate herself to a career and
give up on love. The constant changes in her
moods and goals tended to tire out those around
her.
a. impulsive
b. organized
c. comical
4. The young monk led a very ascetic existence.
He rose at five in the morning, spent an hour in
prayer and then sat down to a simple breakfast
of grains and fruit. The rest of the day was spent
in prayer and work until he ate a light supper
and retired at eight.
a. simple
b. horrifying
c. luxurious
5. She was apprehended by the police only two
hours after the robbery, but being captured didn't
make her humble or frightened. She seemed to
have no idea of what was in store for her.
a. identified
b. caught
c. let go
6. A rebel in his youth, middle age had made
him a reactionary. The very mention of the
word progress made him angry and aggressive.
a. someone who loves animals

b. someone who hates people
c. someone who dislikes change
7. With its four thousand square feet and
attached three car garage, the house
was mammoth. But being big didn't make it
pretty. It was an absolute monstrosity, badly
designed and uncomfortable to live in.
a. tilted
b. mortgaged
c. huge
8. In the beginning, the crowd had been orderly,
but after the union leader announced that there
would be no wage
increase, pandemonium broke out and spread
through the hall as people began shouting and
throwing things at the speaker.
a. confusion and disorder

b. fights
c. the sound of horns
9. From childhood, he had been a staunch friend
who was always there when I needed him. But
suddenly in the past year, he had become
unreliable and withdrawn.
a. casual
b. devoted
c. unstable
10. When she was twelve, she hated
her gargantuan height, which made her tower
over the boys in the class. But as the eighteen-
year-old star of her college basketball team, she
gloried in it.
a. enormous
b. slender
c. crooked
VALUING
Quotation Analysis
Why is it necessary to find meaning in
every experience that we encounter?
GENERALIZATION
3 – 2 – 1 Exit Slip
Enumerate three things you learned today.
Use context clues in two sample sentences.
Write one more thing you want to discover about context
clues.

Context Clues

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Context Clues

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Context Clues

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

BIBLE PASSAGE

When can you say that

when a reader finds a new word, an

Piscatorial creatures, such as flounder,

piscatorial = Referring to fish

The new term may be formally defined,

His emaciation, that is, his skeleton-like

emaciation= Skeleton-like appearance

The reader may discover the meaning

The mountain pass was a tortuous road,

tortuous = Winding and twisting

An opposite meaning context clue

When the light brightens, the pupils of the

dilate = Opposite of contract; expand

Sufficient clues might be available for

. She told her friend, “I’m through with blind

vapid = uninteresting; boring; dull

2. After the heavy rains, the stream became murky;

4. The coach takes every opportunity to censure his

6. Although Alex usually looks unkempt, he had a

a. someone who loves animals

a. confusion and disorder

You might also like