CBSE Class 8 English Building Vocabulary Learning from Context Worksheet

Context clues are words and sentences around an unfamiliar word that explain its meaning. Three types of context clues are definition, example, and general context. The definition, or meaning, of the unfamiliar word may be given in the sentence. Clue words such as that is, in other words, or which means tell you that a definition is following. Sometimes examples are given to explain an unfamiliar word. The clue words like, for example, including, or such as often come before an example. If there are no special clue words in the sentence, you can use the general context. That is, you can use the details in the words or sentences around the new word to determine its meaning.

Darla is a philatelist, which means that she collects stamps. (The clue words which means tell you that the word philatelist means “stamp collector.”)

Bovines, including domestic cattle and the American bison, are an important source of food for many cultures. (The word including introduces examples of bovines. From the examples you can guess that bovines are members of the cattle family.)

Armand took the rough stones to a lapidary. She was going to cut, grind, and polish the stones so that they could be set in silver bracelets. (The general context tells you that a lapidary has something to do with making jewelry. A lapidary is a person who works with gemstones.)

Exercise 1 Write in the blank the meaning of the word in italics.

Arnold is good at ciphering, which is an old way of saying he is good at math. using numbers as in math

1. Wolves are carnivores, which means they are meat eaters. animals that eat meat

2. Fina owns several large implements such as a tractor, a combine, and a baler. tools
3. Ms. Chien praised our deportment, or in other words, our behavior. behavior, manner

4. Jerry’s father filled the spaces between the tiles with grout, that is, thin finishing plaster. a plaster or cement used to hold tiles in place

5. Primates, such as apes and humans, usually have well-developed brains. a high order of mammals

6. The motel offered many amenities, such as a pool and free soda. special added features

7. Marla grew up in a parsonage, that is, a minister’s home. a home provided for a pastor

8. The sisters cleaned the vacant lot gratis; in other words, they were not paid. for free

9. We just finished a unit on famous edifices, such as cathedrals and skyscrapers. large, imposing buildings

10. Jingdan is quite meticulous; that is, she pays attention to every detail. very exact and accurate

11. Marco played several percussion instruments, including snare drum, tympani, and xylophone. instruments that produce sound by being struck

12. Chicago hosted a convention of numismatists, who are people who collect coins. coin collectors

13. The crowd guffawed; in other words, they laughed loudly. laughed loudly

14. A good chef uses many herbs, such as basil and garlic. plants used for seasoning

15. Mr. Ramirez has sports memorabilia such as his ticket stub from the 1956 World Series. objects that bring memories

16. The picnic grounds were very tranquil. No traffic noise interrupted us. The wind was calm. Even the birds were quiet. peaceful, relaxed