Out Of Context Words Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: RF.5.3.A

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

When we are reading just about anything, we will come across words that are foreign or exotic to us. The first thing we often do is try to put the word in context to be able to grasp the meaning or at least usage of the word. If the word isn’t in context we usually have to resort to use any references that are handy. That could mean we are throwing the term into a search engine or grabbing a neighboring dictionary. These worksheets will help students through the process of work with words that are out of context.

Out of Context Words Worksheets To Print:

Size it Up By Syllable – Use the words in the box to match the word with each sentence.

Recognizing Latin Roots – Draw a line to break up the words by their root(s).

Looking For The Light – I always knew that "lum" meant light, but so does "luc".

Recognizing Long E – Underline the long e parts.

Syllable Saw – Use your phonics skills here.

Stop. Think. Break. – Circle the prefix and/or suffix in each word.

Decode It – Break it down into syllables and write one syllable in each box. Now read the word.

Digging for Understanding – Write the base word in the first column and the suffix in the second column.

Cracking Open New Words – Look for words that you know and break down the word from their.

Reading Unfamiliar Words – Read the passage. Write each underlined word on the line.

Root Word Me – If you know the meaning of the Latin and Greek root words, you can figure out the meaning of many other English words.

What Is That Word? – Look at each word. Fill out the chart.

Time To Go Latin Roots – Write the Latin root on one line. Write the rest of the word on the other.

Decoding Prefixes – Underline the prefix in each word. Then match each word to its definition.

Figuring Out Meaning – Read the list of words underneath each prefix below. Then match each word from the list to its definition.

What to Do When You Confront Unfamiliar Words?


While reading or listening to anything in the English language, readers are likely to encounter 2-3 new words per paragraph. The vocabulary of the English language is very extensive and it is almost impossible to remember the meaning of each and every word. This makes it a little difficult for readers, irrespective of their age and competence level in the language, to understand the meaning of some words that have never been heard or read by them before.


Here are a few simple steps to follow that can help one in understanding the meaning of a new and unfamiliar word right after encountering it:


Build Meaning from Different Parts of the Word


Try to breakdown the word in smaller parts and look for something familiar you already understand the meaning of. Most of the times, understanding the meanings of smaller parts or affixes in a word can help one understand the meaning of the complete word.


Understand the Context


It is almost always possible to understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word by understanding the context in which it is being used. Carefully analyze the complete sentence in which the word is used and try to infer the meaning of the word from the over-all sense being conveyed by the sentence.


Search for Connotations


From the sentence, try to guess whether the unfamiliar word is being used to convey a positive or a negative idea. Once you have worked this out, it gets easier to understand the word.


Try to Look for Related Words


Try to understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word by looking at the clues provided in the context. Search for any possible synonym or antonym that has been used for that unfamiliar word in the sentence too.


In cases where none of these tricks work, referring to a dictionary is always the best idea to deal with an unfamiliar word.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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