Using Context Clues Flashcards

Read the sentence: 'The scientist made a crucial discovery, one so important that it changed the way doctors treated the disease.' What does crucial mean?

Answer: very important

The clue 'so important that it changed' doctors' treatments shows crucial means very important.

Read the sentence: 'The dense fog made it so obscure that drivers could barely see the road ahead.' What does obscure mean?

Answer: hard to see or unclear

If drivers could barely see the road, it was unclear or hard to see, so obscure means not clearly seen.

Read the sentence: 'He was so frugal that he always clipped coupons, bought store brands, and never wasted a single penny.' What does frugal mean?

Answer: careful about spending money

Clipping coupons and avoiding waste shows someone who is careful with money, which is what frugal means.

Read the sentence: 'The book was so tedious that Sara could hardly keep her eyes open; she had never read anything so boring in her life.' What does tedious mean?

Answer: long and boring

The clues 'could hardly keep her eyes open' and 'so boring' directly tell us tedious means dull and uninteresting.

Read the sentence: 'After the argument, the two friends decided to reconcile; they shook hands and promised to be friends again.' What does reconcile mean?

Answer: make up and restore friendship

Shaking hands and promising to be friends again shows reconcile means to make up after a conflict.

Read the sentence: 'The baby giggled with glee, laughing and clapping her hands as she played with the colorful toys.' What does glee mean?

Answer: great joy and delight

Giggling, laughing, and clapping show the baby is very happy, so glee means great joy.

Read the sentence: 'The chef's specialty dish was so exquisite that every guest at the table said it was the finest meal they had ever tasted.' What does exquisite mean?

Answer: extremely beautiful or excellent

'The finest meal they had ever tasted' signals that exquisite means of the highest quality or excellence.