Types of Context Clues Look at the definitions of the 5 types of context clues on the following slides. Notice the examples: The new word is circled and the context clues hinting at the meaning of this new word are underlined.

Synonyms Definition: A word that means the same thing as the new word Example: “Ethnic prejudice and discrimination”

Antonyms Definition: A word that means the opposite of the new word Example: “Live in poverty, in contrast to the relative wealth of the rest of the population”

Definition Definition: Restating the word by telling what it means Example: “Came as braceros, or seasonal laborers”

Description Definition: Telling more about the new word Example: “After the revolutionary leader Fidel Castro took over in 1959, many Cubans fled to the United States to escape Castro’s communist rule.”

Example Definition: Giving further information or alternative ways of approaching the unknown word Example: “Many Cubans were academics and professionals, such as doctors and lawyers.”