Download Vocabulary Strategy: Using Context Clues

VOCABULARY STRATEGY: USING
CONTEXT CLUES
When you encounter an unfamiliar word in
your reading, one way to figure out the
meaning is to use context clues.
Context clues are hints about the meaning of
an unknown word that may be found in the
words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs
that surround that unknown word.
Look at this example: And it was wet and muddy from little rivulets of
water that bled from the side of the cliff.
To figure out the meaning of rivulets, look for clues in the surrounding
words and ideas in the sentence.
The sentence says that the rivulets of water “bled” from the cliff. This
helps you imagine water flowing from the cliff in the same way that blood
flows from a cut or scrape on your arm; the blood looks like a running
stream.
Combining this image with the word ‘little,” you can imagine that rivulets
might be little streams.
Locate the following words in “The Ravine” in your online text:
winced (lines 35-39), scoffed (lines 116-120), and parallel (lines
192-194)
Highlight each word.
Reread the surrounding words and sentences, looking for clues to
the word’s meaning.
Underline any clues you find, such as examples, synonyms, or
antonyms.
Review your annotations and try to infer the word’s meaning.