TEACHER’S NOTES

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Using Context Clues

Activity Type Introduction

Reading and Writing In this context clues worksheet, students learn and practice
Exercises: identifying, how to use five common context clues to infer the meaning of
labelling, writing unfamiliar words.
sentences
Procedure
Focus Give each student a copy of the two-page worksheet.
Context clues
To begin, students read an introduction that explains context
clues and their importance.
Aim
Students then read about five common context clue types and
To learn and practice examine example sentences that demonstrate how each clue
how to use five common type works.
context clues to infer the
meaning of unfamiliar Finally, students complete an exercise that requires them to infer
words. the meaning of unfamiliar words. For each word, the students
underline the context clue surrounding the word, name the type
of context clue, and write their own definition of the word.
Preparation
Exercise A - Answer key
Make one copy of the
two-page worksheet for
1. Clue type: Antonym
each student.
Definition: something considered stupid or unreasonable

Level 2. Clue type: Synonym

Definition: an inexperienced or unskilled worker
Intermediate (B1)
3. Clue type: Explanation
Definition: no longer having money
Time
25 minutes 4. Clue type: Definition
Definition: t he ability for a man-made product to become
natural again

5. Clue type: Example

Definition: something which destroys and is dangerous.

6. Clue type: Explanation

Definition: s
 omething that is no longer useful and is
replaceable

7. Clue type: Explanation

Definition: something that is important and highly valued

8. Clue type: Antonym

Definition: lacking energy

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 READING SKILLS

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Using Context Clues

Using context clues to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words is a useful skill for language
learners. Infer means to guess based on the information that is presented, and context means
the situation in which the word is found. There are many situations where being able to guess
the meaning of a word from context may help you, such as in an exam. Many language learning
experts also consider context as the way most successful vocabulary acquisition occurs. To infer
the meaning of unfamiliar words, there are five common types of context clues to look for:

1. Synonym - a word or phrase that means the same as another word or phrase.

Look for the word or phrase within the sentence, or within the previous or following sentence
that could be a synonym for the unknown word.

The venom of the inland taipan, a snake found in Australia, is very fatal. In fact, it is so
deadly that the poison from a single bite can kill 100 fully grown adults.

The word 'deadly' in the second sentence indicates the meaning of the unfamiliar word 'fatal'.

2. Antonym - a word or phrase that means the opposite of another word or phrase.

Look for the word or phrase within the sentence, or within the previous or following sentence
that indicates an opposite meaning.

Rome is a city that is characterised by older style architecture rather than by more
contemporary buildings.

The word 'older' in the first sentence indicates the meaning of the unfamiliar word 'contemporary'.

3. Example - a clue that uses examples to help unlock the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

The weather in Chicago can fluctuate significantly on a given day. For instance, it could be
cloudy and cold in the morning, clear and sunny by midday, and rainy in the afternoon.

Here the phrase 'for instance' indicates an example which can often offer a clue to the meaning
of a word. The example shows how the weather changes many times, so we can guess that
'fluctuate' means to keep changing.

4. Explanation - a
 clue that explains or describes a situation or experience to help you
understand the meaning of an unknown word.

A healthy environment is integral to human survival as without it, we risk not having
enough food and water to sustain us all.

These clues are a little more difficult, but if we look at the second part of the sentence, we can
guess that 'integral', in this case, means important or necessary.

5. Definition - t his type of clue is often found in text books. The definition is usually in the
same sentence as the unfamiliar word and can often come immediately after it.

The English lexis, or total number of words in a language, is the largest of all languages
and contains approximately 176,000 words.

Here the writer anticipates that the reader may be unfamiliar with the word so gives a clear
definition, which in this case is all the words in a language.

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 READING SKILLS

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Using Context Clues

A. For each of the words in bold below, underline the context clue, name the type of
context clue, and write your own definition of the word.

1. I thought his idea for the new marketing plan was absurd. In fact, it was so dumb that many
people in the meeting couldn't hold back their laughter.

Clue type: .................

Definition: ...............................................................................................................

 he new bakery is doing so well that they are going to hire an apprentice. This will be the
2. T
first trainee employed by the business.

Clue type: .................

Definition: ...............................................................................................................

 ue to the pandemic, many local businesses are now bankrupt. With little to no sales, they
3. D
are not able to pay their bills or debts.

Clue type: .................

Definition: ...............................................................................................................

 ecause they are not biodegradable, or able to change back to a natural form, some
4. B
countries are banning single use plastics.

Clue type: .................

Definition: ...............................................................................................................

5. Many natural phenomena such as earthquakes, forest fires, and tornadoes are catastrophic.

Clue type: .................

Definition: ...............................................................................................................

 any experts predict that petrol fueled cars will soon be obsolete. They say that by the end
6. M
of the decade, electric vehicles will have replaced petrol vehicles.

Clue type: .................

Definition: ...............................................................................................................

 any students insist that they must get accepted into a prestigious university. For this
7. M
reason, universities such as Cambridge and Harvard have extremely competitive entry
requirements.

Clue type: .................

Definition: ...............................................................................................................

 n hot humid days, I tend to feel quite lethargic, but on cooler days, I feel much more
8. O
energetic.

Clue type: .................

Definition: ...............................................................................................................

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