9 Strategy: Using Context Clues
When authors write, they often give context clues to readers to suggest the meanings of new or difficult words. Context clues usually give you a sense of a word’s meaning. Here are a few clues you can use when you read.
Definitions or Restatements
The author directly defines the new word within the sentence.
Example: “When people contravene – break or violate – a law in Canada, they can expect to face legal consequences.”
Explanation: “Break or violate” is the definition of the word “contravene”.
Synonyms
The author uses a word or phrase with a similar meaning to suggest the meaning of the new word.
Example: “Following his death by accidental drug overdose, actor Heath Ledger posthumously received an Oscar for best supporting actor for his portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight.”
Explanation: “Following his death” has a similar meaning to the word “posthumously.”
Antonyms
The author uses a word or phrase with an opposite meaning to suggest the meaning of the new word.
Example: “I really don’t appreciate your duplicity. I expect you to give me an honest response from now on.”
Explanation: “Honest response” has the opposite meaning of “duplicity” since the speaker expects a different behavior from the other person from that point on.
Examples
The author provides examples or illustrations of the new word to suggest its meaning.
Example: “Bats, owls, raccoons, and crickets are chiefly nocturnal creatures.”
Explanation: “Bats, owls, raccoons, and crickets” are examples of “nocturnal creatures” (creatures of the night).
Built-In Practice: Using Context Clues
Using Context Clues, find the clue and possible meaning for each “blacked out” word in the following reading selection.
| Context Clue | Possible Word Meaning |