Context clues help Grade 6 ELA students determine unfamiliar word meanings while reading informational texts. This resource provides focused practice identifying restatement, example, contrast, and cause-and-effect clues, using surrounding sentences and grammar, and checking whether an inferred meaning fits the author's purpose.

From Clue to Meaning

Students examine how information around an unfamiliar word can reveal its meaning. They identify the specific type of context clue being used, then use surrounding sentences and grammar to make an accurate inference. Practice also asks students to verify whether their interpretation makes sense within the author's purpose in informational writing.

Skills Put Into Practice

• Identify restatement, example, contrast, and cause-and-effect context clues
• Use surrounding sentences to infer word meaning
• Use grammar and passage context to refine an inference
• Verify word meanings against the author's purpose
• Apply context clues when determining meaning in new sentences

The resource includes multiple-choice questions, true-or-false questions, short-answer responses, a reading passage, matching, a cloze passage, an essay, and a “Did You Know?” section. Students encounter both recognition and application tasks as they practise vocabulary meaning in informational text.

Flexible for Language and Reading Instruction

Use this context clues practice as part of Grade 6 language instruction, informational text work, independent practice, or review. The reading-based tasks give students opportunities to apply word-meaning strategies within passages and new sentences rather than relying only on isolated vocabulary questions.

Support for Students and Teachers

• Student Notes & Lesson Summary supplement provides an additional reference for students.
• Teacher Guide is provided as a separate PDF with Learning Objectives, Teaching Tips, Discussion Questions, and Common Mistakes.

These supporting materials give teachers practical guidance alongside targeted context clue work, making it easier to reinforce how readers use textual information to determine unfamiliar vocabulary in informational writing. The resource is identified with the Ontario framework.