9th Grade Dictionary vs Context Clues

1. Discovering the Meaning to Words

2. OVERVIEW
There are many ways that we can discover the meaning to
words. We can use context clues in a sentence or we can
utilize a dictionary or thesaurus, if they are available to us.

3. DICTIONARY
biology
[bahy-ol-uh-jee]
noun
1.the science of life or living matter in all its forms and phenomena, especially with
reference to origin, growth, reproduction, structure, and behavior.
2.the living organisms of a region: the biology of Pennsylvania.
3.the biological phenomena characteristic of an organism or a group of organisms:
She is studying the biology of worms, especially in regard to their reproductive
behavior.

4. DICTIONARY
Dictionaries are helpful tools, because they allow you to know many things: how to
pronounce a word, how many syllables are in a word, the different roles it can take
on in a sentence (noun, verb, adjective), the different meanings it can utilize, origin
of the word, synonyms, antonyms, and affixes/suffixes (beginning and the ending
of words).

5. CONTEXT CLUES
Even though dictionaries are helpful tools, sometimes we don’t have the ability to
use one. In those instances, we have to use the context clues that are surrounding
the word to be able to identify its meaning. ***Sometimes the context clues will
appear in sentences that are surrounding the sentence that the actual word is in.
Therefore, it is ALWAYS important to read the whole passage and not just specific
sentences for answering questions.

6. EXAMPLE OF USING CONTEXT CLUES
Sue's boss was a callous man. He did not react to her tears and apologies.
From the context you know that a callous man does not react to tears and
apologies. Callous means “hard-hearted” or "insensitive to emotion.“
*Note that the second sentence helped to identify the meaning of the word
callous. When using context clues, it is like you are a detective using everything
that the author has given you to figure out the meaning of individual words, and
then eventually the meaning of the overall passage.

7. LETS PRACTICE
When Harry's boss went on a maternity leave, Harry became the interim
department head. He handled employee payroll for the three months she was
away.
Based upon the context clues, what do you think “interim” means?
What are the context clues that helped you figure out the definition of “interim?”

8. LETS PRACTICE
"Excuse me," she said. "The train conductor told me what happened. You were on
the wrong train car." Then she pointed to the large board that had previously
mystified Patrick. "You will want to catch the next train to Milan," she said. "From
there it is easy to get to Rome."
The word “mystified” most likely means…
mysterious.
confused.
frustrated.
shocked.

9. LETS PRACTICE
Memorial Day starts the summer and Labor Day ends the summer. Many people
confuse the two holidays, but remembering the meaning of the word "labor," can
help them distinguish between the two.
What does the word LABOR mean?
the process of childbirth
hard work
make an effort
remember key people or events