Smart: Read with a

Dictionary

Smarter: Identify Context

Clues

The context is what

surrounds the word

(or sentence or idea)

that you don’t

understand.

Why Context Clues Are Cool

THEY SAVE YOU TIME

THE WORD MAY BECOME PART OF

YOUR OWN VOCAB

YOU GET A SENSE OF HOW TO USE THE

WORD

TRY THIS

What is the definition of the word: languid?

Try it in a sentence:

After Thanksgiving dinner, my husband and I were too languid to clear the table or serve dessert.

It was scorching hot outside; the athlete languidly crossed the marathon finish line.

The Answer

LANGUID: sluggish in character;

lacking force or strength; drooping from

exhaustion.

Were you close? Why? How’d you

figure it out?

4 Types of Context Clues

1. Examples

2. Synonyms

3. Antonyms

4. General sense of passage

Examples

Look for clues that suggest there will be a list or further explanation:

SUCH AS

FOR EXAMPLE

FOR INSTANCE

INCLUDING

Now check your understanding on page 19 in your textbook!

Synonyms

A synonym is a word that is similar to the word you don’t know.

Example: A synonym for languid is sluggish or lazy

Look for words that are similar in the sentence surrounding the word.

Now check your understanding on page 22 in your textbook!

Antonyms

An antonym is a word opposite of the word you don’t know.

Example: An antonym for languid is energetic

Look for words that are similar in the sentence surrounding the word.

Now check understanding on page 25 in your textbook!

General Sense

LOOK FOR OTHER CLUES SUCH AS:

UNDERSTAND THE MAIN IDEA

ASK QUESTIONS

Now check understanding

on page 28 in your textbook!

Another Strategy

Sometimes you won’t need to use context clues to

determine the meaning of a word.

In your textbooks, you might often find that important

words are in bold or italicized and then followed by

the definition.

TEST YOURSELF

1. What does it mean to identify context clues?

2. What are four types of context clues to look for? Can you provide a brief definition of each?

3. What can you look for in textbooks that signifies an important word?