What is the process for determining the contextual meaning of a word?

• A. Check the dictionary first
• B. Count syllables
• C. Look for context clues and evaluate a substituted word
• D. Memorize all definitions

Answer: (C)

Decoding a word’s meaning from context hinges on using clues in surrounding text and testing how the word fits with what’s being said. You examine surrounding words, phrases, and the overall idea to infer sense, paying attention to tone, contrasts, examples, or cause-and-effect relationships that point to a particular meaning. A practical way to confirm your inference is to substitute a word with a meaning that would fit the sentence and read it again. If the sentence sounds natural and conveys the intended idea, that supports your inferred meaning.

This is the best match because it directly uses how the text presents the word to reveal meaning, rather than relying on a dictionary in isolation or on mechanical tricks like counting syllables. It also avoids memorizing definitions that may differ across contexts.

For example, in a sentence like “The old fence was brittle in the winter cold,” you infer that brittle means easily broken. If you substitute “fragile” and the sentence still makes sense, that supports the correct sense.