What is it??

Context Clues

 Context clues are hints that you get about an unknown word from the words around it.

 Sometimes you have to read the whole sentence or paragraph to discover what the word means.

Types of Context Clues

 The joey, which is a baby kangaroo, peeked out of his mother's pocket. (definition)  The beach was covered with debris like paper and cans, and the children picked up all the trash. (synonym)  The ancient dress looked like new after she washed it. (antonym)  Every day he brought a delectable, delicious, wonderful, yummy lunch to school. (example)  My mother used to pull across the bay to catch flounder. She would dip first one oar then the other in the water with a smooth motion (explanation)

 The first review on the Harry Potter movie was

favorable

. Many people attended and enjoyed the movie. Some people even saw the movie three times!

a. negative b. uncertain c. positive d. clear

 Her friend crossed her fingers as she did the cheer. She was hoping that everything would work out for her as she

vied

for a position on the squad. She really wanted to be a cheerleader.

a. shouted b. enclosed c. expanded d. tried

 Thomas went to the

apex

of the mountain, and because it was so high, he had to take a tank of oxygen with him.

a. bottom b. breathe c. top d. clear

 “The nearer he got to Father, the more he dreaded asking for a nickel. He was sure Father would not give it to him.”  What does

dreaded

mean?

 A. feared  B. questioned  C. avoided  D. debated

 “’Here’s the key,’ she would say, retrieving a small brass key from her pocket.”  What does

retrieving

mean?