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Comprehension · Guide 3 of 6

Vocabulary in context

Many words have more than one meaning. These questions ask what a word means here, in this sentence, so the words around it are your best clue.

  • Ages 9 to 11
  • 11+ Comprehension
  • Worked examples

What is it?

A vocabulary-in-context question picks a word or phrase from the passage and asks what it means, or which word could replace it. You might know the word already, or you might need to work it out.

Even if you don't know the word, the sentence around it (its context) usually gives enough clues.

The passage used in these guides

Passage

The Harbour

1The storm had been building all afternoon. By the time Maya reached the harbour, the sky had turned the colour of a bruise, and the fishing boats were tugging at their ropes like restless dogs.

2She pulled her coat tighter and scanned the quay for her grandfather's red boat. It wasn't there.

3Her stomach tightened. Grandad always came back before four o'clock; he said the sea kept its promises only until teatime. Maya checked her watch: ten past five.

4Behind her, the lighthouse blinked awake, sweeping its long white arm across the waves.

How to spot it

  • 'What does the word … mean?', 'Which word is closest in meaning to…?', 'Give a word that could replace…'.
  • Often 1 mark, with the word in quotation marks or bold.

Step-by-step method

  1. Step 1: Find the word in the passage and read the whole sentence, plus the one before and after.
  2. Step 2: Work out the word class: is it a doing word, a describing word or a thing?
  3. Step 3: Cover the word and think what word you would put there.
  4. Step 4: Swap each answer option into the sentence. Does it make sense and keep the meaning?
  5. Step 5: Use word parts: prefixes (un-, re-, mis-), roots and suffixes (-less, -ful).
  6. Step 6: Check: if a word has several meanings, choose the one that fits this sentence.

Worked examples

Example 1: a word with two meanings

Question: 'She … scanned the quay for her grandfather's red boat.' What does 'scanned' mean here?
  1. Step 1: 'Scan' can mean 'read quickly' or 'look carefully over an area'.
  2. Step 2: She is looking for a boat across the quay, not reading. So here it means looking carefully over the whole area.

Answer: Looked carefully across (searched with her eyes).

Example 2: a word you might not know

Question: What is a 'quay'?
  1. Step 1: Clues: Maya is at the harbour; she looks along the quay for a boat.
  2. Step 2: So it's a place in a harbour where boats are kept, next to the water.

Answer: A stone platform in a harbour where boats are tied up.

Example 3: using word parts

Question: 'tugging at their ropes like restless dogs'. What does 'restless' mean?
  1. Step 1: Word parts: rest + less. '-less' means without. So 'without rest'.
  2. Step 2: Dogs tugging at leads can't keep still. That fits the sentence.

Answer: Unable to keep still or relax.

Common traps

  • Using the everyday meaning

    Choose the meaning that fits this sentence, not the one you use most often.

  • Not checking the swap

    Read the sentence again with your answer in place. If it sounds wrong, it probably is.

  • Changing the word class

    If the word is a verb ('scanned'), your answer should be a verb too ('searched'), not a noun ('a search').

Top tips

  • Look up new words when you read at home and keep a word book.
  • Learn common prefixes and suffixes: they unlock hundreds of words.

Practice questions

Read the passage

The Harbour

1The storm had been building all afternoon. By the time Maya reached the harbour, the sky had turned the colour of a bruise, and the fishing boats were tugging at their ropes like restless dogs.

2She pulled her coat tighter and scanned the quay for her grandfather's red boat. It wasn't there.

3Her stomach tightened. Grandad always came back before four o'clock; he said the sea kept its promises only until teatime. Maya checked her watch: ten past five.

4Behind her, the lighthouse blinked awake, sweeping its long white arm across the waves.

Practise this with a free account

4 practice questions on this topic, from easy to 11+ level. Reading the guide is free for everyone; practice is for members, and signing up is free.

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