🟦 Introduction
Hey superstar! 👋📖
Have you ever been reading and found a word you didn’t know — but still figured it out without stopping? That’s called using context clues! 🎯 Context clues are hints writers secretly plant in the passage to help you guess new words.
In today’s lesson, I’ll train you to become a word detective. 🕵️♂️
We will:
Discover different types of clues 🔍
Practise real examples 📝
Solve BECE-style questions 🏆
And reflect like real champions! 🧠
Let’s jump in! 🚀
🟩 Key concepts and explanations
⭐ What are context clues?
Context clues are hints or clues in a sentence or paragraph that help you figure out the meaning of new or unfamiliar words without a dictionary. 📚
🧠 Think of context clues as “mini puzzles” hidden by the writer to test how smart you are!
⭐ Why are context clues important?
Using context clues will help you:
🏃♂️ Read faster and more smoothly.
📚 Understand passages better.
📝 Guess meanings on the BECE when you can’t use a dictionary.
🎯 Score higher in Comprehension sections.
⭐ Types of context clues
Here’s a helpful table to guide you:
| 🧩 Type of Context Clue | 🛠️ How It Works | 📖 Example |
|---|---|---|
| Definition clue | The word is explained directly. | A carnivore is an animal that eats meat. |
| Synonym clue | A similar word nearby explains it. | The baby was timid, or shy, in front of the guests. |
| Antonym clue | A word meaning the opposite is nearby. | Unlike his careless brother, Kwame is very careful. |
| Example clue | Examples give hints about the meaning. | Many beverages, such as tea, juice, and soda, were on the table. |
| General sense clue | The sentence as a whole gives the idea. | After running all day, she was completely exhausted. (Must mean very tired.) |
⭐ Strategy for using context clues
Follow these steps like a pro:
🔍 Spot the difficult word.
🧠 Think: what is happening in the sentence?
🔗 Look for hints like definitions, examples, comparisons, or opposites.
✏️ Guess a meaning that fits the sentence.
🔄 Reread: Does your meaning make sense?
🟨 Step-by-step walkthroughs
🔎 Example 1: Using a definition clue
Sentence:
Cheetahs are predators, meaning they hunt other animals for food.
Difficult word? → Predators
Hint? → “hunt other animals”
Meaning? → Animals that hunt other animals to survive.
✅ Predator = an animal that hunts for food.
🔎 Example 2: Using a synonym clue
Sentence:
The fire made the forest desolate, or empty and lifeless.
Difficult word? → Desolate
Hint? → “empty and lifeless” (synonyms)
Meaning? → Empty, deserted.
✅ Desolate = very empty and lifeless.
🔎 Example 3: Using a general sense clue
Sentence:
Even after the storm, the brave villagers were undaunted, continuing to rebuild their homes.
Difficult word? → Undaunted
General idea? → They kept working bravely even after a storm.
Meaning? → Not afraid or discouraged.
✅ Undaunted = fearless or determined.
🟨 Practice exercises
📝 Part 1: Choose the correct meaning (MCQ)
Read each sentence carefully. What does the bold word likely mean?
The eerie silence made everyone uneasy.
A. very pleasant
B. strange and scary
C. peaceful
D. happy
Many reptiles, like snakes and lizards, are cold-blooded animals.
A. loving
B. needing warm clothes
C. having body temperature that changes with the environment
D. always cold
Kwame tried to console his crying sister after she lost her doll.
A. scare
B. comfort
C. tease
D. punish
📝 Part 2: Fill in the blank (open-ended)
Guess the meaning of the bolded word:
After the speech, the crowd gave a thunderous applause that shook the hall.
She found the intricate patterns on the cloth beautiful.
📝 Part 3: Find the clue type
For each sentence, identify whether the clue is definition, synonym, antonym, example, or general sense.
My father is an optimist, someone who always expects the best. → _________
He was weary, or very tired, after the long journey. → _________
The desert was barren, unlike the green forest nearby. → _________
✅ Answers and explanations
| 🧩 Part 1 Answers | Explanation |
|---|---|
| 1. B (strange and scary) | “Eerie” = spooky feeling. |
| 2. C (body temperature that changes) | Hints from examples: snakes, lizards. |
| 3. B (comfort) | Trying to “console” someone means to comfort them. |
| 🧩 Part 2 Answers | Explanation |
|---|---|
| 1. Thunderous = extremely loud. | |
| 2. Intricate = very detailed or complicated. |
| 🧩 Part 3 Answers | |
|---|---|
| 1. Definition clue | (someone who always expects the best) |
| 2. Synonym clue | (very tired) |
| 3. Antonym clue | (unlike green forest) |
🔁 Recap
Today, you learned that context clues are powerful tools to:
Guess meanings quickly without a dictionary 📚
Read faster and smarter 🧠
Perform better in BECE comprehension exams 🏆
You practised using:
Definitions
Synonyms
Antonyms
Examples
General sense clues
And you discovered how to think like a detective when facing tricky words! 🕵️♂️
🪞 Reflection prompt
Before you close your book today, think about this:
If you meet a brand-new word tomorrow, what will you check first — the definition, the examples, or the general sense of the passage?
Write your answer in 2-3 sentences in your notebook. 📔✨
