Question

language worksheet
finding meanings to fit the context
many words have more than one meaning. when you read, you must choose the meaning that fits the context, or surrounding words. for example, the word safe may mean “away from danger.” however, at the beginning of the story, when jimmy says “i never cracked a safe in my life,” he undoubtedly is using the word to mean “a place to store valuable items.”
one word in each of the following sentences is in italics. using context clues, figure out what the italicized word means. from the list that follows each sentence, choose the word or phrase that best defines the italicized word. write the letter of the definition on the line at the right.

1. “or was it simply a case of a mean old jury that had it in for you?”

a. average
b. unpleasant; nasty
c. overly questioning

1. “the clerk handed him a railroad ticket and the five - dollar bill with which the law expected him to rehabilitate himself into good citizenship and prosperity.”

a. a piece of paper money
b. part of a bird’s face
c. a statement of money owed

1. “from there he proceeded leisurely to the depot and boarded his train.”

a. waited for
b. covered with pieces of wood
c. got on

1. “he went to the café of one mike dolan and shook hands with mike, who was alone behind the bar.”

a. a long table - like structure on which beverages are served
b. something that blocks the way
c. a court of law

1. “by comparing notes, a remarkable similarity in the methods of the burglaries was noticed.”

a. pieces of paper money issued by governments
b. musical symbols
c. short pieces of written information

Explanation:

1. In the context of "a mean old jury that had it in for you", "mean" implies unpleasant or nasty.
2. "A five - dollar bill" refers to a piece of paper money.
3. "Boarded his train" means got on the train.
4. In a café, the "bar" is a long table - like structure on which beverages are served.
5. "Comparing notes" here means comparing short pieces of written information.

Answer:

1. b. unpleasant; nasty
2. a. a piece of paper money
3. c. got on
4. a. a long table - like structure on which beverages are served
5. c. short pieces of written information