Context Clues Practice

The home team made sure that the officials were on their side. They won a close game and the championship with many questionable decisions from the officials. However, no one from any other town would accept the winners as legitimate champions. What does “legitimate” mean?

Some people believe that lawyers are always working to see that justice is done. On the other hand, some believe that lawyers only want to manipulate the legal system to get what they want. Could both sides be right? What does “manipulate” mean?

We walked slowly down the trail with great trepidation. No one who had gone this way had ever been heard from again. Had they simply found a better place to settle on this dark planet? We doubted that. Which word is a synonym of “trepidation”?

Only an hour or so had passed before a tremendous roar shook the ground. At that very moment, a strange grey creature materialized before our eyes. It resembled a lizard in shape. It was about ten feet high at the shoulders and at least fifty feet long. What did the creature do?

Kathy was looking for a strong but light material to use for making her water jugs. Unfortunately, she chose noodelite. It proved to too porous to hold jelly. A porous material _____.

When Beth and Donna were fighting over a boy who didn’t like either one of them, Shana stepped in as a mediator. She sat them both in a corner and kept them talking to each other. Finally, Shana’s efforts resulted in her two friends making up. What does mediator mean?

No one suspected that Jerry was a spy. On the surface he behaved like any normal citizen. When his COVERT activity was discovered and announced to the world, we were all shocked.

No matter where you go, the Internet is following you. Almost every portable device is being made with an Internet connection. Most new TVs and many other appliances come with Internet connections as well. The Internet is truly ubiquitous. If something is ubiquitous, __________.

Speaking rudely to the judges was rash behavior. You really hurt your chances of winning! In the above context, what does “rash” mean?

Fortunately, the explosion diverted the asteroid from a course that would have sent it hurdling into our planet. To divert is to _______.

Those scientists want to hear what our professor thinks about their theory because he is the FOREMOST expert in their field.

Your cousin claimed to be late because the doors of his house were frozen shut. Even though I have my doubts, his explanation is plausible. It got really cold last night. I'll just have to take his word for it. If a statement is plausible, __________.

No word must ever leak out about this military action! It has to be a clandestine operation in order to succeed. Which word is a synonym of "clandestine"?

I believe that if you lower taxes so that people can keep more of the money they earn, it will be an incentive for them to work harder. What is the meaning of “incentive”? __________.

In the early 1600s, a dangerous trip across the Atlantic Ocean was a daunting idea. The Europeans, who would someday be known as the Pilgrims, must have been a very determined and brave group of settlers. A daunting task is one that would _______ someone.