Build Sentence Comprehension: Context Clues (1)
1. Break students into groups based on need
2. Students who scored low in Sentence Comprehension and who
have trouble figuring out word meanings will benefit from this task
3. Have students study the types of context clues on the front of the
sheet, complete with examples and descriptions
4. As students read the passage, ask them to pay attention to
sentences containing unfamiliar words and write them in the
appropriate place on the sheet
5. For each sentence, students should use context clues to figure out
the meaning and complete the task
6. Students should work in pairs or groups of four to complete the
reading and the task
7. Students are to discuss the assignment with their partner/group as
they are completing the task; however, all students are to complete
their own assignment and have their own finished product to turn
in
Build Sentence Comprehension: Context Clues
The context of a word is its environment or the words which surround it. By looking closely at these
surrounding words, you can pick up hints or clues which will help you with the meaning of a difficult
word. There are several different types of context clues, as shown below. Knowing something about
these different types can help sharpen your word attack skills and improve your overall reading
ability.
Read through the types of context clues and their examples below. Once you understand the types,
complete the task on the next page.
Types of Context Clues
1. Clues supplied through synonyms:
Carly is fond of trite, overused expressions in her writing. Her favorite is “You can lead a horse to
water, but you can't make him drink.”
(“Trite” and “overused” are synonyms.)
2. Clues contained in comparisons and contrasts:
As the trial continued, the defendant's guilt became more and more obvious. With any new evidence
against him, there would be no chance of acquittal. (In other words, it was so obvious that the
defendant was guilty, that there would be no chance of him getting off the hook. “Acquittal” means
being found not guilty.)
3. Clues contained in a definition or description:
Paul is a transcriptionist, a person who makes a written copy of a recorded message.
sentence makes it obvious what a transcriptionist is by defining it.)
(This
4. Clues through association with other words in the sentence:
Brian is considered the most troublesome student ever to have walked the halls of Central High
School. He has not passed a single class in his four years there and seldom makes it through an
entire hour of class without falling asleep or getting sent to the office. His teachers consider him
completely incorrigible. (Brian’s characteristics – troublesome, not passing class, sleeping, sent to
the office – help you figure out that “incorrigible” means not manageable or unable to be corrected.)
5. Clues which appear in a series:
The dulcimer, fiddle, and banjo are all popular among the Appalachian Mountain people.
(You
are probably familiar with a fiddle and a banjo – so you can figure out that a “dulcimer” is another
stringed instrument.)
6. Clues provided by the tone and setting:
The streets filled instantly with bellicose protesters, who pushed and shoved their way through the
frantic bystanders. The scene was no longer peaceful and calm as the marchers had promised it
would be.
(Words like “pushed,” “shoved,” “frantic,” and “no longer peaceful” clue you in to
what “bellicose” means.)
7. Clues derived from cause and effect:
Since no one came to the first voluntary work session, attendance for the second one is mandatory
for all the members. (Because nobody came to the first, you can figure out through cause and
effect that they must attend the second – making it “mandatory.”)
Using Clues to Figure Out Meanings of Words
1. Reread the sentence. Look for ideas and words that offer meaning clues, using the types on the other
side of this handout..
2. Read the two or three sentences that came before the one that contains the unfamiliar word(s). Look
for clues to help you figure out meaning
3. Read the two or three sentences that come after the one that contains the unfamiliar word(s). Look for
clues to help you figure out meaning.
YOUR TASK:
As you read the article, text, passage, or story you have been assigned, complete the following
steps:
 Write down THREE sentences that contain unfamiliar words in the spaces below.
 Underline the unfamiliar word in each sentence
 Use context clues to figure out the meaning. Write your meaning in the appropriate space.
 Identify which type of context clue you used to figure out the meaning. (Use the types
from the other side of this page.)
1. Sentence: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Meaning: _______________________________________________________________
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Type of context clue: ______________________________________________________
2. Sentence: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Meaning: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Type of context clue: ______________________________________________________
3. Sentence: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Meaning: _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Type of context clue: ______________________________________________________