R epublic of the P hilippines

D epartment of E ducation
N a t i o n a l C a pi t a l Re g i o n
Sc h o o l s D i v i s i o n O f f i c e o f La s Pi ñ a s C i t y

NAME: ___________________________________________ School: ____________

GRADE & SECTION________________________________ Score: _____________

MODULE IN DEVELOPMENTAL READING

First Quarter
Week 2

MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCY

 Determine meanings of words through context clues

OBJECTIVES
1. Identify the different types of context clues
2. Use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Context clues are hints found within a sentence, a paragraph, or a passage that a reader
can use to understand the meanings of new or unfamiliar words. There are different
types of context clues, as follows:

1. DEFINITION / DESCRIPTION CLUE – the new term may be formally defined, or

sufficient explanation may be given within the sentence or in the following sentence
2. EXAMPLE CLUE – sometimes when a reader finds a new word, an example might
be found nearby that helps to explain its meaning
3. SYNONYM / RESTATEMENT CLUE – the reader may discover the meaning of an
unknown word because it repeats an idea expressed in familiar words nearby
4. CONTRAST / ANTONYM CLUE – an opposite meaning context clue contrasts the
meaning of an unfamiliar word with the meaning of a familiar term
5. MOOD / TONE CLUE – the author sets a mood, and the meaning of the unknown
word must harmonize with the mood
6. EXPERIENCE CLUE – sometimes a reader knows from experience how people or
things act in a given situation
7. ANALYSIS OR STRUCTURE CLUE – the parts used to construct a word can be
direct clues to meaning
8. INFERENCE CLUE – sufficient clues might be available for the careful reader to
make an educated guess at the meaning
9. CAUSE AND EFFECT CLUE – the author explains the reason for or the result of
the word

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Task 1. Identify the context clue used to define the underlined words in each sentence.
1. Lucinda is very adroit on the balance beam, but Constance is rather clumsy.
2. I saw the entomologist, a scientist who studies insects, cradle the giant dung beetle in
her palm.
3. Bats, owls, raccoons, and crickets are chiefly nocturnal creatures.
4. It would be an egregious mistake to wear a dirty t-shirt and shabby blue jeans to a
funeral.
5. The baseball coach punished the team’s duplicity or deceitfulness after they admitted
using steroids to boost their batting averages.

Task 2. Highlight the context clues that help to define the underlined words.

Maggie was a (1) precocious child to say the least. She produced brilliant

watercolor paintings by the age of three. At first, her parents were (2) flabbergasted—
utterly blown away—by their daughter’s ability, but soon they got used to their little
painter. Her preschool teacher said that Maggie’s (3) dexterity, or ease with which she
used her
 hands, was something she had never before seen in such a young child. Little Maggie
never (4) gloated or took pride in her paintings; she just smiled contentedly when she
finished one and requested her parents give it to someone as a gift. Whenever people
met Maggie for the first time they often watched her paint with their mouths (5) agape,
but her parents always kept their mouths closed and simply smiled over their “little
Monet.”

Task 3. Identify the type of context clue used in each sentence.

1. The girl who used to be very vociferous doesn't talk much anymore.
2. Pedagogical institutions, including high schools, kindergartens, and colleges, require
community support to function efficiently.
3. He was so parsimonious that he refused to give his own sons the few pennies they
needed to buy pencils for school. It truly hurt him to part with his money.
4. His pertinacity, or stubbornness, is the cause of most of his trouble.
5. When the children at the birthday party saw the cake, the balloons and the clown, they
were ecstatic.

Task 4. Choose the meaning of each underlined word.

1. The tough task was filled with inherent danger.

A. overflowing B. combined C. built-in D. external
2. The counterfeit money was not accepted at the retailer.
A. important B. repulsive C. thick D. fake
3. Even though a storm had just come through, the lake was strangely very placid that
afternoon.
A. rough B. calm C. wild D. wet
4. Please nullify our agreement; I am not interested anymore.
A. improve B. cancel C. seal D. sign
5. The bin of potatoes in the cellar was replete; we would not run out of food all winter.
A. crooked B. hungry C. empty D. full

Task 5. Read the riddles below. Choose the letter of the correct meaning of the crazy, make-
believe italicized word, and then circle at least two clue words that helped you figure out the
meaning of the word.

1. The apploga bounced really high when Jimmy threw it on the ground. Then, Cathy threw the
apploga through the net and scored two points. We like playing with the apploga during
recess. What is an apploga?

A. orange B. marble C. table D. ball

2. Mary rode her camonga to school yesterday. She could not ride it today though because it
was
raining. Her little sister Alice also has a camonga, but it still has training wheels on it because
Alice is not old enough yet to ride without them. What is a camonga?

A. skateboard B. boat C. bike D. car

3. Tommy likes to eat cheese sneitoo for lunch. His brother prefers his sneitoo to have
sausage
and pepperoni on it. For dinner, their mom took a frozen sneitoo out of the freezer and
cooked
it for dinner. It was yummy! What is a sneitoo?

A. spaghetti B. pizza C. apple D. milk

4. My dibek is living with us in the spare bedroom. He just moved back to town. He is my dad’s
brother and I sometimes teases him. When my brother is not there, he says that I am his
favorite
nephew. What is a dibek?

A. stepfather B. grandpa C. cousin D. uncle

5. Challenge: Write your own riddle with a made-up word. Give clues so that others can figure it
out.