6

Module 8

ENGLISH
DECODING MEANING OF UNFAMILIAR
WORDS
USING CONTEXT CLUES
A DepEd-BEAM Distance Learning Program supported
by the Australian Agency for International Development

To the Learner
Dear Learner,
How are you today?
In your previous module youve learned about words with
multiple meanings. This module will guide you how to get the exact
meaning of a word by using it in context.

Lets Learn This

This module will help you use context clues which means to get
the meaning of the word as it is used with other words. Therefore,
the words that precede and follow an unfamiliar word will help you
get its specific meaning.

Lets Try This

Select the best definition of the boldface word in each sentence
from the choices given. Write the letter of the definition in the blank.
______ 1. At the end of the term the manager received one
thousand pounds as retirement pension.
1. strikes heavily
2. units of money
3. units of weight

______ 2. After examining the cause, the archaeologist

pronounced them the finest gallery of prehistoric art.
1. testing the condition
2. inspecting closely
3. inquiring carefully
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______ 3. The green trees and the bright sunshine were something
to behold.
1. radiating; reflecting
2. intelligent; clever
3. lively; cheerful

______ 4. We are team, designing and creating the festival hats.

1. plotting against someone
2. sketching outline for a project
3. projecting mental schemes

______ 5. The gentleman was spotting an attractive tie.

1. to secure with string or the like
2. same score
3. necktie used as part of mens attire
2 Are you done?
3 Were all your answers like these?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

units of money
inspecting closely
radiating; reflecting
sketching outline for a project
necktie used as part of mens attire

4 Write your score inside the big flower.

5 Lets move on to the next activity.

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Lets Study This

Study the following paragraph. Find out the correct meaning of

draft by studying the context.

A strong draft had blown the window open. With a

(1)

loud clutter, it blew away the window shutter. Shivering,

Cindy got up the bed to draft a temporary replacement for
(2)

the shutter until daybreak. As soon as the bank opened, she

would encash the draft her mother had sent so she could
(3)

buy a good window shutter. Then she would draft her

(4)

friends to help put up the shutter. She would reward her

friends with a cold draft of fruit juice.
(5)

1 Note the italicized word draft in the paragraph. Lets look at its

meaning by studying the context.

(1) draft a current air
(2) draft a plan

(3) draft a written order for money payable to a bank

(4) draft to select or draw money
(5) draft to drink or something taken in.
2 When we use context clues in learning the meaning of a word,

we read the words that follow it and then derive its meaning
from them or from the context.

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Example:
The heavy rain muffles the loud music in the bedroom
thats why the babys sleep remains undisturbed.
1 Which word in the sentence means to deaden the sound of or

to keep down? The word muffle means to keep down.

Lets Do This
What is the correct meaning of each italicized word? Choose
your answer from the box opposite each set. Write only the letter.
(Note: Numbers 1 and 2 correspond to 3 points each. Number 3
corresponds to 4 points.)
stone is
taken by
1. ______ A. Each child had brought his/her
cutting
racket for the game.
1. plan
for
or
getting
blasting
______ B. What a racket they made as they
money
played their game!
2. cutting,
2. metal
or
digging
wooden
______ C. What racket can I make to take
for
or
hoop
for
advantage of this disturbance?
taking
playing
stones
tennis
2. ______ A. The hunters wanted to get some
c. animal
leopards but the quarry was too clever
3.
loud
noise
being
for them.
hunted
down.
______ B. We went to the quarry to get some
stones for our project.
______ C. In some places, quarrying is
prohibited to prevent landslides.

1. excavation

from which
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3. ______ A. I will never forget the

date February 14.
______ B. Somebody gave us a
package of date.

a. oblong, sweet, juicy

fruit

______ C. We ate so much of the

exotic food that we had to
make a date with the
dentist.

b. obsolete or oldfashioned
c. point of time

______ D. Instead of the modern

dental laboratory we
expected to see, the
dentists equipment was
dated.

d. an appointment

1 Are you done?

2 Look at the Answer Key to check your answers.
3 Whats your score in? _________
4 Lets continueDo your best this time.

Lets Do More

Directions: Use the context clues to the sentences to find the

meanings of the bold faced words. Write your answer in your
notebook.
1. Jane was a wizard at games. She mastered them in no time and

seldom last.

evil magician

gifted person

average
player

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2. The holiday was so special that she was sure shed never forget

it. The memory would be imprinted forever in her mind.

found

weighed

fixed

3. John will believe anything anyone tells him, his teacher said.

Hes a very impressionable young man.

easily influenced

unhappy

unintelligen
t

4. Do you really think its prudent to spend all your money on

clothes? his mother asked crossly.

foolish

wise

funny

5. Your plan has merit, Elizabeths father said. Let me give it

some thought.
value

awards

kindness

6. John was very gregarious and loved being around people.

shy
1
2
3
4

outgoing

unfriendl
y

Are you done?

Look at the Answer Key again to check your answers.
How much did you get? __________
Very Good! Thats better.

Lets Remember This

A context clue is a clue or hint from the sentence that
helps you to figure out words that you dont know.
Context clues help you figure out the meaning of a
word by relating it to other words in the sentence or this
simply means that we get the meaning of a word by
studying its relationship with other words in the sentence.
Some clues are more obvious than the others.

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4

Lets take a look at the example.

Read and choose the best meaning of the
underlined word by using the context clue.
______ 1. A choreographer is someone who creates
dance compositions and designs dance
movements and patterns for dance.
1.
2.
3.

one who designs houses

one who designs dances
one who dances

______ 2. It was a horrible experience, quite unlike

the glorious moment she has dreamed of.
1.
2.
3.
4.

beautiful
shocking
frightful
both b and c

Do we have the same choices?

For number 1. its letter b 2.
its letter c

Lets Test Ourselves

1.

Context Clues: Leonardo da Vinci

Directions: Read the sentences below. Use the context clues to

figure out the meaning of the bold words. Write your answer in your
notebook.
1. Some people are perplexed when they look at The Last Supper,
but others understand it immediately.
unhappy

happy

puzzled

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2. Because his model felt melancholy about the death of her child,
da Vinci had music played to lift her spirits as he painted the Mona
Liza.
sad

unfriendly

hostile

3. Because da Vincis work is so famous, many people

erroneously assume that he left behind many paintings. In fact,
he left only 20.
rightly

correctly

wrongly

4. Leanardo da Vinci was not like most other people. He didnt care
what others thought of him-he led an interesting and
unconventional life.
dull

not ordinary

ordinary

5. The composition of the The Last Supper is superb. All the parts
of the painting seem to fit together beautifully.
The picture frame

parts of the
picture

6. Leonardos genius set him apart from people with ordinary

minds. He never married, he had few friends and he spent much of
his time alone.
great mental abilities
great physical abilities
proper way to do
improper way to do things
things
7. Because he was a loner, da Vinci worried no one would come to
his funeral when he died. In his will, he set aside 70 cents each to
hire 60 mourners to accompany his body to his grave.
friends

people who grieve

people who
smile

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2.

Context Clue: Passenger Cars

Directions: Read the information about passenger cars. Use

context clues to determine the meaning of words in bold. Check
the correct answers.
Early railroad passenger
cars were little more than
stagecoaches fitted with special
wheels to help them stay on
the tracks. They didnt hold
many passengers, and because
they were made out, they were
fire hazards. They also did not
hold up very well if the train
came off the track or had a
collision with another train.

In the United States, it wasnt long before passenger cars were

lengthened to hold more people. Late in the 1830s, Americans were
riding in elongated cars with double seats on either side of a center
aisle. By the early 1900s, most cars were made of metal instead of
wood.
Sleeping and dining cars were introduced in the United States by
the early 1860s. Over the next 25 years other improvements were
made, including electric lighting, steam heat and covered vestibules
that allowed passengers to walk between cars. All of these luxuries
helped make railroad travel much more comfortable.
1. Based on the other words in the sentence, what is the correct
definition of hazards?
engines risks stations
2. Based on the other words in the sentence, what is the correct
definition of collision?
crash
race track
3. Based on the other words in the sentence, what is the correct
definition of elongated?
wooden new lengthened
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7

Dont sit on Eleonor! Jane screamed, causing her

mothers best friend to leap back up from the chair on which
she was about to sit, and spill her tea. Mrs. Tripp looked
resignedly at Mrs. Lister.
2
Eleanors still with us, I see, she said mopping at the
spilled tea on her lap with her handkerchief.
3

Really, Jane, this business of your invisible friend is

becoming a nuisance, Mrs. Lister said, running for the paper
towels.
4
Im sorry, Mrs. Tripp, Jane said. She was just sitting
there for a minute waiting for me to come so we could go up to
my room.
5

Er, Jane dear, Mrs. Tripp said, looking at her over the
top of her huge, black-rimmed glasses, dont you think youd
be
Whos Invisible Now?
By Karleen Bradford

happier with a real friend? My Susie would love to see more of

you,
I know.
6
Jane didnt answer.

Later on, when Mrs. Lister had come in to turn Janes light
off for the night for the third time, she looked down at Jane and
sighed.
8
Mrs. Tripp is right, you know dear. You are really much too old

4. Based on the other words in the sentence, what is the

correct
things offering the greatest comfort
definition of
Inventions
vestibules?
passageways
cars
depots
5. Based on the other
words in the
sentence, what is the
correct definition of
luxuries?
additions
C.

to have an imaginary friend. Thats what little children do, and youre

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Eleanor is not imaginary, Jane replied sulkily, shes

just invisible, thats all. And youre always telling me to be
loyal to my friends, so why shouldnt that include Eleanor?
And Susies not a delighted, well-adjusted child, shes a
fink.
10
Really, dear! That word!
11
Its not bad word. Its in the dictionary. I looked it up
the last time you told me not to say it. If its all right for the
dictionary it should be all right for me, and it sure describes
Susie. Fink: Spy, informer. Unsavory person; jerk. Thats
Susie.
12
Jane! Susies certainly not a spy.
13
Oh, yes she is. Shes the one who told my whole
class about Eleanor, after you told her mother. She
eavesdropped when you two were talking, and then she told
the whole world. Thats a spy. And shes a jerk, because
Eleanor said so.
14

Oh, dear, Mrs. Lister sighed, and left the room,

forgetting to turn the light out after all.
15
Jane sighed too, and turned the light off herself. She
didnt really mind people not believing in Eleanor-after all,
she couldnt really expect them to-but it did make things
difficult at times.
16

The next morning, as she was coming down the stairs

to breakfast, she heard her mother and father talking. She
didnt mean to eavesdrop-goodness knows, she wasnt a spybut she couldnt help overhearing her mother say,
17

I dont know what to do about this Eleanor business,

I really dont.
18
Maybe if we got her busy doing other things, her
father suggested brightly. Maybe that would take her mind
off Eleanor for a while.
19

The next week happened to be a holiday, and Jane

was certainly kept busy. Her mother had something different
planned for every day of the week: movies one day, puppet
show the next, shopping for shoes the next, visit to Susies
house (Ugh) the next. Her father even stayed home from
work one day and took her to the zoo. She had a marvelous
time.
20

The evening before school started again her mother

and father called her back into the living room just as she
was going to bed.
21

Did you enjoy yourself over the holiday? they asked,

looking at her expectantly.
22
Oh, I certainly did, Jane answered, her eyes shining.
And so did Eleanor. Every minute of it, except for the visit to
Susies. She bounced out the room.
23Her mother looked at her father with despair.
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They admired their neighbors lawns and gardens, stopped

in for an ice-cream cone-very unusual this, so close to
dinner time and after all those cookies, too, thought Janetalked about school, then started back home. Mrs. Lister
began to explain all over again about invisible playmates
and almost ten-year-old girls, but Jane suddenly interrupted
her.
28

Just a moment, Mom, she said politely, Eleanor

think her mothers calling her.
29
Eleanor! exploded Mrs. Lister. What have I just
been telling you? ELEANOR DOESNT EXIST!
30
Just then, out of the thin air only a childsbreath
away from Jane, a mothers impatient voice cried out:
31
Really, Eleanor, this business of your invisible friend
Jane
Using Context Clues
Directions: Look at each number in parenthesis. Find the paragraph
with the same number in the story. See how the word below is used
in the paragraph. Decide whether its meaning is a or b. Write the
letter of your answer in the blank. Number 1 is done for you.
1a 1. paper (3)
1. made of paper
2. a written composition

Start here.
______ 2. down (7)
1. to or towards a lower place or position
2. to end or drink something quickly

______ 3. little (8)

1. small in size
2. small in quantity

______ 4. class (13)

1. high quality
2. group of pupils

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______ 5. mind (15)

1. to be troubled
2. way of thinking

______ 6. mean (16)

1. to have as a purpose
2. a middle point between extremes

______ 7. off (18)

1. not being at ones best
2. away from

______ 8. time (27)

1. a period
2. rate of speed
2 Are you done?
3 Look at the Answer Key to check your answers.
4 What is your score?
5 If you got 14-19, Congratulations! Proceed to the next module.
6 If your score is 9-13, answer the next activity Lets

Enrich Ourselves.

7 If your score is 8 and below, review the whole module.

Lets Enrich
Ourselves

Understanding Context Clues

Directions: For each sentence, circle the pair of words that complete
the meaning of the sentence.

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1. Their profits have been __________, and they wish to __________ their

situation.

1. decreasing - excuse
2. declining - remedy
3. comfortable redness

Rats provide a __________ in reducing garbage, but this is

outweighed by their __________ activities.

2.

1. help - useful
2. trouble - dynamic
3. service - harmful
3. Fact and Fancy were so _________ that no one could _________ them.
1. connected separate
2. necessary use
3. respected want
4. If one is to understand the __________, one must study the

_________.

1. facts unnecessary
2. unusual sentences
3. whole- parts
5. His father __________ him, for he realized the interest was more

than a __________ fancy.

1. encouraged childish
2. berated sincere
3. helped mature
6. Safe driving prevents __________ and the awful _________ of knowing

you have caused an accident.

1. disease remainder
2. accidents safe
3. tragedy remorse

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1 Are you done?

2 Look

at the Answer Key to check your

answers.

3 What is your score? __________

4 Very Good! Job well done.
5 Proceed to the next module.

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Answer Key

Lets Do This
1.

2.

3.

b
c
a

A.
B.
C.

A.

a
b

B.
C.

c
a
d
b

A.
B.
C.
D.

Lets Do More
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Lets Test Ourselves

gifted person
A.
fixed
easily influenced
wise
value

6. outgoing
B.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Lets Enrich Ourselves

1. declining remedy
2. service harmful
3. connected separate
4. whole parts
5. encouraged childish
6. tragedy
remorse

1. puzzled
2. sad
3. wrongly
4. not ordinary
5. parts of the
picture
6. great mentor
7. people who grieve
risks
crash
lengthened
passageways
things offering the
greatest comfort

C.
a.
1.
Start here
a
2.
a
b
a
a
b
a

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

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