Context clues are hints that an

author gives to help define a

difficult or unusual word.
The clue may appear within the
same sentence as the unknown
word or the clue may be in a
surrounding, or nearby, sentence.
You must hunt for the clues!
 the pictures
 the surrounding sentences
 any synonyms or antonyms given
 any word parts used
 the examples & definitions given
 any helping words used
 explains the meaning of the word

You can tell Mrs. Leonard is

benevolent by the way she treats
everyone kindly.
 gives an example of the word

Mrs. Leonard is a benevolent

person and feeds the homeless
every Saturday.
gives a word with the same meaning as the
unknown word

Mrs. Leonard is benevolent and

generous to others who are in need.
gives a word with an opposite meaning for
the unknown word

Mrs. Leonard is benevolent, but

her brother is uncaring.
 thinking about what makes sense

I know Mrs. Leonard will want to

help feed the homeless. She is very
benevolent.
Sometimes there might be a
word or phrase in a sentence
that connects a word to its
meaning.
like, such as, or, are,
called, named
A word might contain a prefix,
suffix or root word that helps
give meaning to that unknown
word.
re- , un-, -ful, -ness,
-bi , -aqua-

There are so many strategies I can use

to solve unknown words!
I learned in school that rain, sleet, hail, and
snow are types of precipitation in our
environment.

The word precipitation means:

condensation in the atmosphere

Context Clue:
example
When I looked at the weather forecast, the
meteorologist, or weatherman, said that it
might rain.

A meteorologist is a:
weatherman

Context Clue:
definition
Since it will probably rain, I thought it
would be smart for me to take my
bumbershoot to keep me dry.

A bumbershoot is an:
umbrella

Context Clue:
inference
Unlike me, who thought ahead, my brother
Sammy was not as clever. He got soaking
wet outside!

The word clever means:

smart

Context Clue:
antonym
Sammy was so cantankerous when he got
home, his cranky attitude put everyone in a
bad mood.

The word cantankerous means:

cranky or irritable

Context Clue:
synonym
 I told Sammy that he needs to buy an
accessory, like a raincoat or umbrella, and use
it the next time it rains.

An accessory is an:
item or piece of clothing to be used

Context Clue:
example
 The word portly means…
skinny tall overweight

The word lithe means…

pretty bendable stiff
 The word sublime means…
inspiring awful long

Another condiment would be…

packets hot dogs ketchup
 Janna is afraid of heights. Her teacher, Mr.
Thomas, told her not to worry about being
frightened of anything. He said that many
people have a phobia such as fear of water,
fear of tight spaces, and fear of the dark.

What does the word phobia mean, and how

did you figure it out?
Turn & Talk to a buddy! Be ready to share!
 Kirk seemed to trip over everything! Even
when paying close attention, he bumps into
things. Kirk was very gawky. He was known
as having “two left feet”. He was much
different than his sister, Amelia, who was very
graceful.
What does the word gawky mean, and how did
you figure it out?
Turn & Talk to a buddy! Be ready to share!
Jody learned something new from watching the
news. She learned that there are many people
and animals in the world that are famished.
Other people sometimes feel sorry for them
and will give them food to eat.

What does the word famished mean, and how

did you figure it out?
Turn & Talk to a buddy! Be ready to share!
 Some people who live in cities are
affluent, while others live in poverty.

rich, wealthy, well-off or prosperous

antonym
 Some reading genres include fairy
tale, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

type, sort, kind, category

example
I wonder if that fruit on the tree is
edible, or able to be eaten.

eatable (able to be eaten), digestible

definition
The mountain path was a tortuous road,
winding and twisting like a snake around
the trees.

twisting, winding, bendy

synonym
 Mary thought watching golf was very
vapid. She always yawned and thought
about other things.

dull, uninteresting, unexciting, boring

inference