Question

read the sentence below and choose the best meaning of the word plummeted using cause/effect context clues. after the factory closed and hundreds lost their jobs, the town’s population plummeted as families moved away to find work elsewhere. increased slowly remained steady decreased sharply changed slightly

Explanation:

The cause is the factory closing and job - losses, and the effect is families moving away. This indicates a sharp reduction in the town's population. So, "plummeted" means decreased sharply.

Answer:

Decreased sharply