Vocabulary Detectives Using Context Clues to Define Unfamiliar Words

What is Context? When you’re reading a story, an article or any other piece of written work, it is referred to as the text. When you’re looking for something within the text, that is context.

What is a Context Clue? A context clue is something that points out in the text what something means. This is particularly important for when you come upon a difficult word that you don’t know what it means. You can look for context clues to help you figure out what that word might mean.

Synonyms words that have the same meaning that are used in the sentence. The usually picky film critic was engaged and involved in the movie’s exciting plot. What might be the definition of engaged?

Antonyms a word or group of words that has the opposite meaning of an unknown word. Some people are loquacious, while others don’t talk at all. What might be the meaning of the word loquacious?

Definition unknown word is explained within the sentence or following sentence. The boy tried to emulate his favorite baseball player; he copied the player’s batting stance. What might the word emulate mean?

Examples What might the word periphery mean? Gives an example using “like” or “as.” Like road banks along an interstate highway, the periphery of the river was littered with container trash from the nearby factories. What might the word periphery mean?

How do you use Context Clues? Let’s read the sentence below and try to figure out the meaning of the word “Promenade.” The gentleman and the lady did a promenade around the dance floor. What words in this sentence might help us define promenade? What do those words suggest about the word promenade? If we were to replace the promenade with a similar word based on our definition prediction, would the sentence make sense?

Now what’s Next? Let’s look up the definition of promenade: Does our predicted definition match the real definition?

Why Use Context Clues? Does every text you’ll ever read have underlined and defined vocabulary words? Do you always have a dictionary right next to you whenever you’re reading? Using context clues helps you quickly decipher hard words so that you can keep reading without losing too much speed.

Let’s Practice!  Let’s try to define the highlighted words in the following sentences by using context clues: Jimmy struggled getting up this morning, so he felt lethargic and sluggish all morning. In the middle ages, people would go to an apothecary when they needed medicine. The bank robber tried to evade questioning so he wouldn’t give away his partner’s hide away.

Actual Definitions How did we do? Lethargic: characterized by laziness or lack of energy; sluggish Apothecary: an old pharmacy or drug store Evaded: avoided