Using Context Clues to Find Word Meaning
Using Context Clues to Find Word Meaning is a free, printable Grade 3 ELA worksheet — 5 questions with an answer key, aligned to CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4.a. Lessonpress generated it in about a minute, and you can make your own for any K–5 grade, standard, or skill.
Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4.a
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Answer key
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- 1.
Jamal was famished after soccer practice, so he ate two sandwiches and an apple. What does famished most likely mean?
Answer: very hungry
- 2.
When a word is unfamiliar, you can use the other words in the ___ as a clue to its meaning.
Answer: sentence
- 3.
Read this sentence: Maya was timid about speaking in front of the class, so she talked very softly and looked at the floor. What does timid mean? Write your answer in a complete sentence. Then write one detail from the sentence that helped you figure it out.
Answer: Timid means shy or nervous. Students should note that Maya talked very softly and looked at the floor, which shows she was uncomfortable and nervous about speaking in front of others.
- 4.
Read this sentence: The path through the forest was narrow, barely wide enough for one person to walk through at a time. What does narrow mean? Write your answer in a complete sentence. Then explain how the rest of the sentence helped you figure out the meaning.
Answer: Narrow means not wide or very thin. Students should explain that the clue is that only one person could walk through at a time, which tells us the path did not have much space.
- 5.
Write your own sentence using a word that might be tricky. Make sure the other words in your sentence give a clue to what the tricky word means. Then write what your tricky word means.
Answer: Responses will vary. Look for a sentence that includes a challenging or less common word and surrounding context clues that clearly point to the word's meaning. The student should also correctly define the word they chose.
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Common questions
What grade is the "Using Context Clues to Find Word Meaning" worksheet for?
Grade 3. It's calibrated to the Grade 3 reading load and content, and aligned to CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4.a.
What standard does this ELA worksheet cover?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.4.a, from the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts: Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Is this worksheet free to print or download?
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