WHICH DEFINITION MATCHES THE SENTENCE?

Key Notes:

Understanding Multiple Meanings

Many words in the English language have more than one meaning. To understand what a word really means in a sentence, you need to use context clues.

Context clues are hints within the sentence that help you figure out which definition is the right one.

How to Determine the Correct Definition

Follow these steps:

• Read the sentence carefully: Pay attention to every word.
• Identify the word with multiple meanings: Is there a word that could have different definitions?
• Look for context clues: What other words or phrases give you hints about the word’s meaning?
• Consider each possible definition: Think about all the possible meanings of the word.
• Choose the definition that fits best: Which meaning makes the most sense in the sentence, based on the context clues?

Examples of Words with Multiple Meanings

Word: Bank Definition 1: A financial institution Definition 2: The side of a river Example 1: I deposited money at the bank. Example 2: We sat on the bank of the river.

Word: Right Definition 1: Correct Definition 2: A legal or moral entitlement Example 1: You are right about the answer. Example 2: Everyone has the right to freedom of speech.

Word: Bat Definition 1: A nocturnal flying mammal Definition 2: An implement used to hit a ball Example 1: A bat flew out of the cave. Example 2: He swung the bat and hit a home run.

Word: Fine Definition 1: A sum of money paid as a penalty Definition 2: Of high quality Example 1: I had to pay a fine for speeding. Example 2: That is a fine piece of jewelry.

Practice Exercises

For each sentence, identify the correct definition of the underlined word.

Instructions: Choose the definition that best fits the way the word is used in the sentence. Write the number of the correct definition next to each sentence.

Word: Fair

1. Just or equitable.
2. A gathering of people for entertainment or trade.
3. The judge made a fair decision. (____)
4. We went to the county fair last weekend. (____)

Word: Watch

1. To look at something for a period of time.
2. A small timepiece worn on the wrist.
3. Did you watch the football game last night? (____)
4. I received a watch for my birthday. (____)

Word: Rose

1. A flower.
2. Past tense of rise.
3. She rose early this morning. (____)
4. She received a red rose for Valentine’s day. (____)

Word: Address

1. Location.
2. To speak to.
3. What is your street address? (____)
4. The president will address the nation tonight. (____)

Next Steps

Continue practicing identifying context clues in your reading. The more you read, the better you’ll become at understanding the different meanings of words!