View largerHow to use context clues
Knowing the kinds of context clues and the steps to use them
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Context Clues Worksheets
Use the words around a new word to work out what it means, in sentences, multiple-meaning words, made-up words and short passages.
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Context clues chart
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Context clues in sentences
View all 2 pagesUse the clues 1
Using the words in a sentence to figure out what a new word means
Answer key on page 2
2 pages50 KB
View all 2 pagesUse the clues 2
Writing the meaning of a new word using clues in the sentence
Answer key on page 2
2 pages41 KB
View all 2 pagesClues that tell and clues that show
Using a meaning told in the sentence or a list of examples to figure out a word
Answer key on page 2
2 pages44 KB
View all 2 pagesSame and opposite clues
Finding a clue word that means the same as or the opposite of a new word
Answer key on page 2
2 pages45 KB
View all 2 pagesWords with two meanings
Using context to choose the right meaning of a multiple-meaning word
Answer key on page 2
2 pages51 KB
View all 2 pagesWhat could it Mean?
Using context clues to figure out the meaning of a made-up word
Answer key on page 2
2 pages48 KB
Context clues in passages
3 pagesView all 3 pagesCaught in the rain
Using context clues in a story to figure out the meaning of new words
Answer key on page 3
3 pages56 KB
View all 2 pagesContext clue Detective: hummingbirds
Finding the clue for each new word in a nonfiction text and writing its meaning
Answer key on page 2
2 pages40 KB
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About these context clues worksheets
Context clues are the other words in a sentence or paragraph that help a reader figure out a new word. A good reader who meets a word like drenched does not stop. They read on, notice that water was dripping from someone's hair, and work out that drenched means very wet.
These context clues worksheets teach that habit step by step. A chart shows the kinds of clues: a sentence that tells the meaning, examples, a word that means the same, and a word that means the opposite. Practice pages use sentences with a bold word to define, words with two meanings like bat, bark and ring, and made-up words that can only be solved with clues. Two pages use a short story and a short nonfiction text.
Every page has an answer key.
Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.AUse sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.4.CUse context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.4Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.
How to use them
- Start with the chart and read each example together.
- Teach the steps: stop at the word, reread the whole sentence, look for clue words, then try your meaning in the sentence.
- Do the circle the meaning pages before the pages where children write the meaning.
- Use the made-up word page as a game: children love proving what glimby must mean.
Teaching tips
- Clue words to look for: is, means, or, like, such as, but, unlike.
- After choosing a meaning, put it in place of the word. Does the sentence still make sense?
- Multiple-meaning words need the whole sentence: a bat can fly or hit a ball.
- Praise good guesses that fit the clues, even if they are not the exact dictionary meaning.
Questions teachers and parents ask
What are context clues?
Context clues are the words and sentences around an unknown word that help a reader work out what it means.
What grade are these context clues worksheets for?
They are written for second grade, when children start using sentence clues to figure out new words, and they work well for third grade review.
Do the worksheets have answer keys?
Yes. Every page has an answer key. Where children write a meaning, the key shows an example.