Context CluesWhen you don’t recognize a or that you , the context in which it is found can help you figure out the meaning. Search and for context clues. In the examples below, the unfamiliar words are printed in italics and the context clues are underlined.

Type ExampleThe thief was elusive and avoided capture for many years.Definition: Difficult to find/catch

Bob tended to make decisions impulsively, rather than planning in advance.Definition:

The blue and white amulet the tribespeople wear is a charm intended to protect them against bad luck.Definition:

Eleanor donated to many philanthropic causes. Homeless shelters and foundations to assist orphans were among the recipients of her charity.Definition:

While the lecturer was very clear and methodical in explaining her ideas, many of the students’ questions were vague and unfocused.Definition:

Knowing that Pete was a notorious procrastinator where housework was concerned, his guests helped him to wash dishes immediately after lunch.Definition:

Context Clues PracticeDirections: Read the following article, and then answer the questions below in complete sentences.

“Machine Squeezes Drinking Water From Your Sweaty T-Shirt” By Francie Diep

1 I think the question here isn't whether you'd drink your own, but whether you'd drink someone else's. One company has designed a system, called Sweat Machine, to wring sweat out of clothes and turn it into potable water.2 The Sweat Machine heats and spins clothes to extract the liquid from them, then filters the extract with a membrane developed with the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Yum.3 The filter is the most sophisticated part of the machine. It's "a bit like Goretex," one of the machine's designers, engineer and Swedish TV host Andreas Hammar, told the U.K.'s The Independent. Water vapor passes through the material easily, but it traps bacteria, salts and fibers from the clothes.4 Fans watching the Gothia Cup, an international youth soccer tournament held in Sweden, will get to see the Sweat Machine at work during the game. Players Tobias Hysén and Mohammed Ali Khan have promised to drink a glass of water extracted from their own sweat, according to UNICEF. Anybody else interested in getting a taste can try, too. 5 The demonstration is supposed to draw attention to the fact that 780 million people around the world don't have access to clean drinking water. Contaminated water can be deadly, especially for children. UNICEF will be raising money for a more practical solution for those kids—water purification tablets.6 Want to see a more practical water-recycler at work? The International Space Station hosts a system that captures astronauts' sweat and urine and turns it into potable water. The space station uses the same type of filtration as the Sweat Machine, Hammar told The Independent, but the Sweat Machine was a bit cheaper to build.

1. In paragraph 1, the author describes the water as potable. What do you think potable means?

2. What does the author mean by extract? How do you know?

3. What context clues help you to determine the meaning of the word contaminated?

4. Break down each word: purification and filtration. How does the suffix –tion change the meaning of each word?