Determine the meaning of words using synonyms in context

Key Notes :

Synonyms are words that have similar meanings. Think of them as word cousins! Using synonyms can help us understand the meaning of a word we don’t know by looking at the words around it (the context).

Why are Synonyms Helpful?

Synonyms are like clues! When you find a word you don’t understand, look for synonyms nearby. They can help you figure out what the unfamiliar word means. This is called using context clues.

Examples of Synonyms in Context

Let’s look at some examples:

• The dog was happy and joyful when his owner came home.
• In this sentence, joyful is a synonym for happy. If you didn’t know what joyful meant, the word happy helps you understand that it means feeling pleased or glad.
• The large and big elephant walked slowly.
• Here, big is a synonym for large. If you didn’t know what large meant, the word big tells you it means of considerable size.
• The child was afraid and scared of the dark.
• Here, scared is a synonym for afraid. The word scared helps you understand the meaning of afraid which is feeling fear.
• Read the entire sentence carefully.
• Identify the unfamiliar word.
• Look for other words in the sentence that have similar meanings. These are your synonym clues!
• Think about how the synonym fits into the sentence.
• Use the synonym to understand the meaning of the unfamiliar word.

Practice Time! Let’s Try Some Exercises

Instructions: Read each sentence and circle the synonym that helps you understand the meaning of the underlined word.

The food was delicious and tasty , so we ate it all.

• A. awful
• B. yummy
• C. disgusting

The clever and smart student always got good grades.

• A. foolish
• B. intelligent
• C. lazy

The room was silent and quiet after everyone left.

• A. noisy
• B. loud
• C. still

It was a brave and courageous thing to do.

• A. scared
• B. fearful
• C. bold

The joke was funny and humorous.

• A. serious
• B. hilarious
• C. sad

Answers to Exercises

• B
• B
• C
• C
• B

Summary

Today, we learned that synonyms are words with similar meanings and how they can be used as clues to understand unfamiliar words in sentences. By looking for synonyms in context, we can become better readers and understand what we read more effectively.

Let’s practice!