5.4.R.3 Lesson & Practice

5.4.R.3 Lesson & Practice

Students will use context clues to determine or clarify the meaning of words or distinguish among multiple-meaning words.

Lesson Vocabulary

CONTEXT CLUE: the information from the textual setting that helps identify a word or word group.

MULTIPLE-MEANING WORD: a word that has more than one unrelated definition.

Real World Connections

• Cell phones have become essential in many ways, and a disruption in service feels like a major catastrophe. At this point, what is the one receiving a call to do as the caller's voice on the other end in midsentence fades or flutters?

• There are only 2 choices: say, either, "Please repeat that," or just make a wild guess at what was missed and go on with the conversation.

Paying close attention

As long as the listener was paying close attention to the conversation, the wild guess may be successful with clues from the previous sentences.

The key to that listener's success is the same as the student reader who comes upon an unknown word in a selection.

Readers do the same thing!

The same thing happens when a reader comes to an unfamiliar word in a text. The choice is between stopping the flow of the story to look up the word or using clues from the rest of the text to give a reasonable meaning.

It is knowing how to use clues to give meaning to an unfamiliar word that helps us read through a selection faster and undertand its meaning better.

Stopping to look up too many words can be a problem!

If you choose to look up that unfamiliar word each time in a dictionary, it will make reading not so fun! You'll miss out on reading something interesting or you'll miss the main idea.

Many studies report that when any task is interrupted, it takes a longer amount of time and effort for the person's mind to get back on task.

One recent study states the following:

"Distractions catch you off guard and derail your task entirely ... it takes about 25 minutes to get back into the swing of things after you've been interrupted."

When it comes to reading comprehension, most readers feel more like skipping the word and hope for the best.

Readers can increase their vocabulary by using CONTEXT CLUES.

Using context clues, or the information around the unfamiliar word, to help decode a word or group can improve our comprehension.

There are five main types of context clues: inference, definition, example, antonym, or synonym. (Your book only lists 4, but we'll learn about 5!)

Multiple-meaning words

If a word has more than one meaning, we depend on the rest of the text for the correct meaning.

Learning to decode the meaning of words by using context clues will improve vocabulary, reading comprehension, and fluency.

Words and phrases can help in decoding context clue words.

A reader should also determine how the word is used in a sentence as a part of speech.

English words can not only have multiple meanings, but can also be multiple parts of speech.

For example: The run (noun) was for two miles. I run (verb) a mile every morning.

Words of Comparison

• like

• similar to

• as

Words of Contrast

• which is

• that is

• is

• unlike

• or

• in other words

• but

Other Words & Phrases

• for example

• on the other hand

• and other

• for instance

• on the contrary

• especially

Multiple Choice

Use context clues to decode the underlined word in the following sentence.

My illness was so acute that the doctor put me in the hospital.

• sharp

• minor

• serious

• sensitive

Multiple Choice

That play was the funniest the drama class has ever done.

Select the clue that would most likely help determine the correct meaning of play in the sentence.

• antonym

• definition

• inference

• synonym

Multiple Choice

Read the following.

My parents try to tolerate my sisters' music because they believe in allowing others to have choices different from their own.

A reader would most likely determine the meaning of tolerate as it is used in the above sentence by which clue?

• antonym

• definition

• inference

• synonym

Adaption of "Hunting in Many Lands: The Book of the Boone and Crocket Club" by Theodore Roosevelt

Read the selection and then continue to answer the questions that follow.

Multiple Choice

In paragraph 1, a reader most likely decodes the word isolated by using a

• synonym

• inference

• definition

• antonym

Multiple Choice

In paragraph 1, the word sward most likely means

• jungle

• woods

• road

• prairie

Multiple Choice

In paragraph 1, the definition of the word pace is determined by being a

• noun.

• verb.

• adjective.

• adverb.

Multiple Choice

In paragraph 1, the word gaunt as an adjective can be defined with a (an)

• antonym.

• inference.

• synonym.

• definition.

Multiple Choice

In paragraph 2, a reader most likely decodes the word game with a (an)

• antonym.

• synonym.

• definition.

• inference.

Multiple Choice

In paragraph 4, the word wariness most likely means

• carelessness.

• cautiousness.

• boldness.

• sadness.

Multiple Choice

In paragraph 5, the word canter most likely means

• stroll.

• crawl.

• trot.

• race.

Multiple Choice

In paragraph 5, the word chagrined most likely means

• displeased.

• proud.

• fulfilled.

• satisfied.

Multiple Choice

All of the following are types of context clues except

• synonym.

• antonym.

• homograph.

• definition.

Essential Question: Explain how to determine the meaning of a multiple-meaning word.

• To determine the meaning of a multiple-meaning word, the reader must use the text around that word to see which definition best fits in the context.

Multiple Choice

A book about the life of George Washington, written by George Washington, belongs to which genre?

• biography

• autobiography

• poetry

• historical fiction

Multiple Choice

Trunk or Treat was cancelled, but door-to-door trick-or-treating will continue.

What is the function of the conjunction used in the above sentence?

• indicates additional information

• gives a choice

• shows a cause and effect

• shows a contrast

Multiple Choice

Read the following.

My feet were begging for a pedicure.

Which type of literary device is used in the above sentence?

• simile

• metaphor

• personification

• onomatopoeia

Multiple Choice

A student reading a geography textbook wants to know the definition of cultural diffusion. Which of the following resources should be used?

• dictionary

• glossary

• thesaurus

• encyclopedia

Multiple Choice

Read the following.

You must have your parents' consent in order to go on a field trip.

Select the best synonym for the word consent as used in the above sentence.

• permission

• disapproval

• refusal

• objection

Multiple Choice

The reader recognizes a selection with short lines and stanzas as a

• poetry.

• drama.

• fiction.

• informational.

Multiple Choice

We have played that team once already this year.

What verb tense is used in the above sentence?

• past perfect

• past tense

• present perfect

• present tense

Multiple Choice

John stood near Alice's wheelchair. He wanted to help her through the door, but he knew how independent she was. Alice's green eyes snapped with fire. She was bound and determined to show her brother she could mange by herself. Tomorrow she would make it through the day without any problems.

What point of view is the above paragraph?

• third person limited

• third person omnicient

• first person

• second person

Multiple Choice

Which literary device creates certain feelings for the reader?

• personification

• simile

• metaphor

• tone