Types of Context Clues:

O Examples O Synonyms O Antonyms O General Sense of the Sentence

or Passage

Examples
O Examples of an unknown word may

reveal the words meaning. To know how this works. See the next slide.
O Note: Examples may be introduced

with such signal words as for example, for instance, including and such as.

O Stale bread has more functions than many realize;

for example, it can be made into bread pudding or ground up into bread crumbs.

Stale bread

Bread pudding

Bread crumbs

O Stale bread has more functions than

many realize; for example, it can be made into bread pudding or ground up into bread crumbs.

O Definition of functions: a. Tastes b. Problems c. Uses

O The relief pitcher had a few eccentric habits, such

as throwing exactly thirteen pitches when warming up and never wearing socks.

O The relief pitcher had a few eccentric habits,

such as throwing exactly thirteen pitches when warming up and never wearing socks.
O Definition of eccentric:

Normal b. Strange c. Messy

a.

O Throughout history, humans have built a wide

variety of dwellings, from tepees made of skin to mansions of stone.

Before

After

O Throughout history, humans have built a

wide variety of dwellings, from tepees made of skin to mansions of stone.

O Definition of dwellings:

Homes b. Stores c. Churches

a.

Synonyms
O Context clues are often found in the form of

synonyms, words that mean the same as the unknown word. These are words around a difficult word that mean the same or nearly the same as the word.

O Note: Synonyms may be introduced by or

and that is. It may also appear anywhere in a sentence as a restatement of the meaning of the unknown word.

O Affluent or wealthy, Americans should be

more concerned with the problems of the homeless.

O In this sentence the indicator or tells us

that the word affluent also means wealthy.

O My best friend squandered all his money;

his drinking and gambling wasted his earnings.

O In this sentence the words drinking and

gambling give us a clue that squandered means wasted.

O Because Eva runs the toy store like a

despot, all of the employees call her the little dictator.

O This sentence tells us that the employees

call Eva the little dictator because she runs the store like a despot, which means that despot is similar to dictator.

Antonyms
O Antonyms- words and phrases that mean

the opposite of a word and are also useful context clues. These are words around a difficult word that mean the opposite or nearly the opposite as the word.
O Note: Antonyms are signaled by words and

phrases such as however, but, yet, on the other hand and in contrast.

O The coach takes every opportunity to

censure his players, yet ignores every chance to praise them.

O In this sentence, the word yet tells us that

censure is the opposite of praise.

O I am having acute pains in my chest

now, said the patient, but an hour ago all I felt was a mild pinch.
O In this sentence the word but indicates

contrast which means that acute is opposite of mild.

O Some teachers are too lenient- they have no

rules in class and no real goal. Id rather have a strict teacher who took class seriously.
O Here, the first sentence contrasts with the

second sentence which means that lenient is an antonym of strict.

General Sense of the Sentence or Passage

O Sometimes you can find a new words

meaning through the other ideas in a passage. Asking yourself questions about the passage may help.
O Understand this more by proceeding to the

next slide.

O The newlyweds agreed to be very frugal in

their shopping because they wanted to save enough money to buy a home.

O (Hint: People who want to save money would

shop in what way?)

O Definition of frugal:

Thrifty b. Wasteful c. Interested

a. O The first sentence provides enough evidence for

you to guess that frugal means thrifty- the newlyweds had to be thrifty if they wanted to save money.

O Harry muted noises in his restaurant by

installing special ceiling tiles and dividers between the booths.

O (Hint: How could ceiling tiles and dividers

affect noise?)
O Definition of muted:

Increased b. Softened c. Created

a. O The word muted in the sentence means

softened; a restaurant owner would probably want to cut-down the noise.

O Friends tried to dissuade old Mrs. Aportadera

from going to court during her sons trial, but she went anyway, to show her support.

O (Hint: What would the old womans friends

have tried to do if they didnt want her to go to her sons trial?)

O Definition of dissuade:

Question b. Describe c. Discourage

a. O In this sentence, dissuade means discourage-

Mrs. Aportadera went to the trial despite her friends discouragement.

ODRILL

Examples
O Direction: Identify the examples given

by the underlined word in the sentence and choose its definition.

1. The debris in the stadium stands included numerous paper cups, ticket stubs, and cigarette butts.
a. Products b. Papers c. Rubbish

2. Emilios doctor prescribed for his weak stomach a bland diet of white bread, rice, and mashed potatoes.
a. Spicy b. Varied c. Mild

Antonyms
O Direction: Each sentence includes a

word that is an antonym of the underlined word. Identify the antonym of the underlined word in the sentence and choose its definition.

1. Although Alex looked unkempt, he had a very neat appearance on his job interview.
a. Orderly b. Strange c. Messy

2. A temporary cough is nothing to worry about, but a chronic one can be a sign of a serious illness.
a. Continuing b. Brief c. Mild

General Sense of a Passage or Sentence

O Direction: Choose the definition of the

underlined word by answering the hint given.

1. Kelvin is very humane; yesterday he stopped his car on the highway in order to help an injured dog.
O (Hint: How would we described Kelvins

behavior?) Practical b. Uncaring c. Kind

a.

2. Dont tell my sister where Im going, Juan warned. She loves to divulged secrets.
O (Hint: What is Juan worried that his sister

might do with a secret?) Reveal b. Hide c. Invent

a.