Context Clues
Grade 6
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✦ Exercise 1 — Use Context to Find the Meaning
Read each sentence. Use the surrounding words (context clues) to choose the best meaning for the bold word.
The explorer was undaunted by the dangerous jungle — she pushed forward without any fear.
The bold word means:
The scientist's new theory was plausible; it made sense based on all the available evidence.
The bold word means:
He was so famished after the long hike that he ate three sandwiches.
The bold word means:
The politician's speech was ambiguous — no one could tell exactly what she was promising.
The bold word means:
✦ Exercise 2 — Identify the Type of Context Clue
Context clues come in three types: Definition (the sentence defines the word), Example (examples are given), or Contrast (an opposite is shown). Identify the type used in each sentence.
The remedy, or cure, worked quickly to heal her illness.
Bold word: remedy | Clue type:
Unlike his tranquil sister, he was always loud and restless.
Bold word: tranquil | Clue type:
She loved nocturnal animals such as owls, bats, and raccoons.
Bold word: nocturnal | Clue type:
The debris — broken glass, fallen branches, and scattered bricks — covered the road.
Bold word: debris | Clue type:
✦ Exercise 3 — Vocabulary in a Passage
Read the passage below. Then answer the vocabulary questions using context clues.
Maria had always been an avid reader. She devoured books the way some people eat snacks — quickly and with great pleasure. When her teacher assigned a formidable reading list of twenty novels, most students groaned. Maria, however, was elated. She immediately began to prioritize her reading schedule, placing the longest books first so she would have more time for shorter ones later.
1. What does avid mean? What clues helped you?
2. What does formidable mean? What clues helped you?
3. What does elated mean? What clues helped you?
4. What does prioritize mean? What clues helped you?
🌟 Writing Challenge
Choose two of the bold words from the passage. Write a sentence for each that includes a context clue so a reader could figure out the word's meaning without a dictionary.