Which statement best defines a context clue?

Which statement best defines a context clue?

• A. Information near a word that suggests its meaning.
• B. The title of the passage.
• C. A paragraph's main idea.
• D. A footnote citation.

Answer: (A)

Context clues are hints in nearby words that help you figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. The best definition among the options is information near a word that suggests its meaning. This can be synonyms, explanations, or examples embedded in the surrounding sentence or nearby sentences. For example, in a sentence like “The path was arduous, a difficult climb,” the nearby words “difficult climb” show what “arduous” means. The other options—a title, the paragraph’s main idea, or a footnote—don’t provide a direct hint about a specific word’s meaning in the text.

Context clues are hints in nearby words that help you figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. The best definition among the options is information near a word that suggests its meaning. This can be synonyms, explanations, or examples embedded in the surrounding sentence or nearby sentences. For example, in a sentence like “The path was arduous, a difficult climb,” the nearby words “difficult climb” show what “arduous” means. The other options—a title, the paragraph’s main idea, or a footnote—don’t provide a direct hint about a specific word’s meaning in the text.