When a reading question asks what a word means in this passage, the surrounding text matters. A familiar word may be used in an unfamiliar way. An unfamiliar word may have a clue nearby. The task is to choose the meaning that best fits this particular sentence and situation.
For Year 5 and Year 6 practice, teach a small routine: read around the word, suggest a meaning, substitute it and check the evidence. Context clues support vocabulary knowledge; they do not make learning new words unnecessary.
Start with the whole sentence
Try this original example:
The narrow track was treacherous. Loose stones rolled beneath their shoes, and one wrong step could send a walker down the steep slope.
What does “treacherous” most nearly mean here?
- A. Dangerous to travel along.
- B. Difficult to see in the dark.
- C. Deliberately dishonest.
- D. Surprisingly short.
Answer: A. Loose stones, unstable footing and a steep drop support danger. C is a meaning associated with betrayal, but a track is not being accused of deliberate dishonesty. B and D add details the passage does not give.
Substitute “dangerous to travel along” into the first sentence. It preserves the meaning and fits the explanation that follows.
Five useful kinds of clue
A definition: “The animals were nocturnal, meaning they were active at night.” The explanation directly supplies the meaning.
A restatement: “His reply was terse—brief and abrupt.” The nearby wording gives a close equivalent. A synonym may be approximate, so check the tone as well as the basic meaning.
A contrast: “Unlike the crowded main hall, the side room was deserted.” The contrast supports “empty of people”. It does not tell us the room was permanently abandoned.
Examples: “The box contained fragile objects, including thin glass ornaments and delicate china cups.” These examples suggest items easily broken.
Actions or consequences: In the treacherous-track passage, what happens under the walkers' feet helps explain the adjective. The writer never gives a dictionary definition, but the details support one.
These are useful patterns, not an exhaustive checklist. A clue may extend across several sentences, and sometimes the context narrows the possibilities without establishing an exact definition.
Check which meaning of a familiar word fits
The council shelved the proposal until it could obtain an accurate cost estimate.
Here, “shelved” means put aside or postponed. The proposal is an idea under consideration, and “until” signals a delay. The sentence does not mainly concern placing an object on a shelf.
Ask your child to explain the whole sentence in ordinary language before looking at the choices. This makes it easier to reject a familiar definition that does not fit the context.
A second worked question
Amira was reluctant to cross the bridge. She stepped towards it, stopped, and asked whether there was another way around.
Which meaning best fits “reluctant”?
- A. Eager to begin.
- B. Unwilling or hesitant.
- C. Unable to walk.
- D. Certain the bridge had collapsed.
Answer: B. Stopping and asking about another route suggest hesitation. Nothing establishes an inability to walk or a collapsed bridge. D turns a possible reason for worry into a fact that the text never states.
This example also shows the boundary between word meaning and inference. We can identify reluctance from the actions without claiming to know every reason behind it.
Use word parts as supporting evidence
Prefixes, suffixes and familiar roots can help you propose a meaning. For example, “reusable” suggests something that can be used again. But do not force a word-part guess onto a sentence that contradicts it, and do not assume every unfamiliar word separates neatly into familiar pieces.
During untimed practice, a dictionary is useful after making a supported prediction. Compare the relevant definition with the passage. In a test, follow the actual instructions about permitted resources.
A short practice routine
- Read the sentence containing the word, then the sentences before and after it.
- Identify the clue and suggest a plain-language replacement.
- Test each option in the original sentence.
- Reject answers that change the tone or add unsupported information.
- Explain your choice using a particular detail from the passage.
If the evidence is insufficient, acknowledge that rather than inventing certainty. A child can understand a word without knowing the formal name of the clue type; the explanation matters more than the label.
For related practice, explore figurative language and non-fiction comprehension. Choose a reading sample through QASMT or BSHS, or browse the test catalogue.