Context Clues
Context Clues
Context Clues
Context Clues!
Brought to you by Ms. Julie Ann
Sometimes when we are reading, we don’t know what a
word means! What do we do?
Just like a detective, we have to use clues! There are
words or phrases around unfamiliar words that can help
us understand the meaning of a word.
These words or phrases are called context clues.
Learning how to use these clues can help us understand
the meaning of the word, help us to understand the
reading, improve our vocabulary and save us from using
Google or the dictionary!
We Make Guesses Based on the
Information We Know!
Antonym A word or group of words that has the opposite meaning reveals
the meaning of an unknown term.
Although some men are loquacious, others hardly talk at all.
Definition
Restatement or Synonym
Contrast or Antonym
Comparison
Example
List or Series
Cause and Effect
Description or Inference
The unknown word is explained by using a
more familiar word or phrase
EXAMPLES:
EXAMPLES:
*Meat eaters, that is carnivores, are at the top of
the food chain.
*The goslings--those fuzzy baby geese--waddled
after their mother.
*She enjoyed biology (the study of living things).
Examples:
Flooded with spotlights – the focus
of all attention – the new Miss
America began her year-long reign.
She was the cynosure of all eyes for
the rest of the evening.
EXAMPLE:
EXAMPLE:
EXAMPLE:
EXAMPLE:
EXAMPLE:
EXAMPLE:
The root cred means “to believe,” and the prefix in- means
“not.” Therefore, if a story is incredible, it is unbelievable.
6. Bats that eat fruit and nectar spread seeds and help flowers
grow. Without bats many important plants would not thrive. What
does the word thrive probably mean?