Context Clues
You Are the Detective
Make a First Decision
Don’t get frustrated.
• When you are reading, decide if you have to
know the word in order to get the meaning of
the paragraph or sentence.
• If knowledge of the word’s meaning isn’t
necessary, then move on and don’t waste
time.
• If knowledge of the word’s meaning is
necessary, then get your detective gear ready.
For Example:
As part of their training as emergency response
technicians, the class learned the proper way
to immobilize accident victims before moving
them to ambulances.
Immobilize means: a) to move a lot
b) to make incapable of
movement
c) to be part of a mob
An Author’s Clues
Authors usually give clues called
CONTEXT CLUES.
Context clues are hints that help readers
discover the meaning of unfamiliar words.
5 Types of Context Clues
#1
DEFINITION
(specifically defines the word)
The joey, which is a baby kangaroo, peeked out
of his mother’s pocket.
#2
SYNONYM
(means the same as the underlined word)
The beach was covered with debris like paper
and cans and the children picked up all the
trash.
#3
ANTONYM
(means the opposite as the underlined word)
The ancient dress looked like new after she
washed it.
#4
EXAMPLE
(use of words or phrases that are the same as
the underlined word)
Every day he brought a delectable, delicious,
wonderful, yummy lunch to school.
#5
EXPLANATION
(an actual explanation is used)
My mother used to pull across the bay to catch
flounder. Pull is a word that is sometimes
used to mean row.
Using Clues for Better Comprehension
When you have to stop reading to figure out
what a word means, the flow of
understanding of what you are reading is
interrupted and sometimes lost.
When you learn to skip over words that are not
important and learn to figure out words on
your own using CONTEXT CLUES, you are
better able to understand what you read.
In Small Groups
1) Read the sentences on your paper.
2) Figure out what each word means using the
context clues.
3) In the column to the right, list which type of
context clue is provided.