How to find word meaning in context.

Step 1: Read the sentence carefully… Read the whole sentence. If you don't know the meaning of the word, skip over it and read the rest of the sentence. Then look at the words around the new one and try to make a connection. Here is an example: George cared little for social amenities, and sometimes his unpleasant words and actions made people feel uncomfortable. The words that come after the word "amenities" explain that the word means unpleasant words and actions. Now read the whole sentence including the new word.

Step 2: Look for clues within the sentence… Read this sentence: They drove their bright new red vehicle to the park.vehicle You might not know the word "vehicle," but the word "drove" is a clue that vehicle could mean a car. In this sentence the context clue comes before the new word.vehiclecar Read the sentence again using the word "car" instead of "vehicle" to see if the word makes sense.car

Step 3: Look for antonyms within the sentence… Read this sentence:He was always late; he just couldn't ever be punctual. The word "late" is the opposite of the word "punctual.” In this sentence the clue to the meaning of “punctual” is the word “late.”

Step 4: Look for synonyms within the sentence… Read this sentence: The family needed to economize, but try as they would they just couldn't save money.familymoney The word "save" in this sentence means the same thing as "economize." Save is a synonym for economize. Sometimes a synonym, or word that means the same as the new word is a context clue that can help you figure out the meaning of a new word.