Author's craft & word meaning · Topic 5 of 8

Word Meaning in Context

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Reading · word meaning

Find what the word means in this passage: reread the sentences around it, predict a plain word, then test each choice in place.

01 · The questionMeaning in THIS passage

02 · First stepReread the sentences around it

03 · ThenPlug each choice into the sentence

The meaning as used in this passage, not the usual dictionary sense must know

Everyday words with several meanings are common targets (a fever "breaks")

No clue word? Infer the meaning from the overall situation

Reread the word's sentence plus the one before and after

Predict a plain word of your own, then match a choice

Plug each choice into the sentence; keep the one that still makes sense

Definition clue: meaning given beside the word (or, means, dashes, parentheses)

Synonym clue: a nearby familiar word means about the same

Contrast clue: but, unlike, not → the word means the opposite of its partner

Example clue: such as, for example → what do the examples share?

Hours of climbing, hikers turning back → arduous = very difficult

Quiet Mara vs her gregarious brother ("by contrast") → gregarious = sociable

"Relieve the morning crowding" → relieve = ease, not take over a shift

Trap: the word's most familiar meaning that doesn't fit here

Trap: a choice that fits the sentence but clashes with the paragraph

Trap: a look-alike or sound-alike word; judge by meaning, not spelling

Show 3 more facts

Positive or negative? The word's feel can rule out choices

Word parts can back up a context guess (taught in Vocabulary)

Context gives a working meaning, not a full definition

Pearl

Reread, predict, plug in: the right choice still makes sense in the sentence.

Practice this topic, then test the whole section.

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