CONTEXT CLUES Using context clues to choose the correct word, define content area words, and choose among multiple meanings of words

CONTEXT CLUES

Using context clues to choose the correct word, define content area words, and choose among multiple

meanings of words

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Copyright © 2012 Sharon Fabian

CONTEXT CLUES

The context of a word is all of the other words around it.

You can use this context to help you understand the meaning.

It’s called using context clues.


You can use context clues to fill in a missing word. See if you can choose

the correct word to complete the passage below.

First the lights flickered. Next, they stayed out for a few seconds. When they went out again, and didn’t come back on quickly, Tom felt sure that this was going to be one of those long power _____. He had seen it happen before – the lights blink out in a storm and then take days to come back on. Once again, he wished that he had bought a generator like many of his neighbors had.

The missing word

is:a) sources

b) supplies

c) outages

d) plays Copyright © 2012 Sharon Fabian

First the lights flickered. Next, they stayed out for a few seconds. When they went out again, and didn’t come back on quickly, Tom felt sure that this was going to be one of those long power outages. He had seen it happen before – the lights blink out in a storm and then take days to come back on. Once again, he wished that he had bought a generator like many of his neighbors had.

From the context clues in the passage, you can tell

that outages is the missing word.

CONTEXT CLUES


You can use context clues to define a word. For example, what does the

word urbanization mean in the following passage?

At that period in history, urbanization was on the increase. Every month saw more and more people packing up their belongings, selling their farmland, and moving to the cities in hopes of finding jobs and making enough money to support their families.

Urbanization means

____________

____________

____________

_.


At that period in history, urbanization was on the increase. Every month saw more and more people packing up their belongings, selling their farmland, and moving to the city in hopes of finding jobs and making enough money to support their families.

From the context clues in the passage, you can tell that urbanization

means the movement of people from the country

to the city.


You can use context clues to understand multiple meaning words. For example, which meaning of throw

is used in this sentence?Since James wanted to be a ventriloquist, he learned to throw his voice.

In this sentence, throw means:

a) to toss or flingb) to sendc) a small blanket often kept on

a sofa or chaird) to make ones voice sound as

it if is coming from somewhere

else


Since James wanted to be a ventriloquist, he learned to throw his voice.

From the context clues, you can tell that the correct

answer is d) to make ones voice sound as if it is

coming from somewhere else.


Now it’s your turn.

Take out a piece of paper and number it one through ten to answer the following questions.

Then check your answers on the last slide.


Billy took his compass along on the hike. He wanted to be sure that he could find his way from one stopping point to the next. Even though a park ranger went along on the hike, it was important that everyone find his or her own way. After all, this hike was part of a/an _____ class.

1. The missing word is:a)natureb)architecturec)orienteeringd)fun


Fireworks were one of Macy’s favorite parts of any big event. So it was no surprise that she chose fireworks as the grand finale of today’s _____, even though it was not a patriotic holiday. Today, Macy was turning fifteen, and it seemed like the perfect day to celebrate in her own favorite style.

2. The missing word is:

a) celebration

b) Fourth of July party

c) school holiday

d) meeting


In art class, Roger was learning about perspective drawing. He learned that it was a way of drawing objects to make then look three-dimensional. Roger drew a building using lines and vanishing points to make it look 3-D.

3.Perspective means ______________________________________.


Anna was studying poetry terms for a quiz, but she had trouble remembering the meaning of the term personification. Then, she remembered an example that she had seen. In the example, people were enjoying a day on a warm, sunny beach. The caption under the picture said that the sun smiled down on the people. She remembered that the sun smiling was an example of personification.

4. Personification means

____________________

_________________.


Directions: Match each statement to the correct meaning of the word in blue.

A. When my friends and I got too loud, my brother yelled, “Stop the racket!”

B. Her tennis instructor said that it was time for her to buy a new racket.

c. That plan for getting rich quick is nothing more than a racket!

5. _____ loud noise6. _____ a dishonest

scheme for making

money7. _____ sports equipment used in

tennis


8.What does using context clues mean?

9.How do you think using context clues can help you to be a better reader?

10.Write a context clue question for your classmates to solve.


Check Your Answers

1. C2. A3. A way of drawing 3-D objects

using lines and vanishing points4. Describing a non-human object

as if it had human characteristics

5. A6. C7. B8. Figuring out the meaning of a

word by using the words around it

9. Answers will vary.10.Answers will vary.


More Classroom Materials from Classroom in the Middle

PowerPoint Presentations

Worksheet Sets

Smartboard Activities

Question Card Sets

Task Card Sets

Topics Include:

The Writing Process

Figurative Language

Vocabulary

Using Context Clues

Multiple Meaning Words

Analogies

Story Starters

Puzzles

And more

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CONTEXT CLUES Using context clues to choose the correct word, define content area words, and choose among multiple meanings of words