Vocabulary in context

Made up words

100

This morning it was snowing when I went outside. My hands were frozen by the time I made it to the bus stop. I wish I had some marluts to keep my hands warm. 

What are Marluts?

Mittens/gloves

200

I spent the morning making sure I had all of my school supplies ready for tomorrow. The most important is my trenym. I need to be able to write in my notebook and finish my assignments. If I lose my trenym I won’t be able to write.

What is a trenym?

Pen/pencil

300

I love playing with my new pranton. He is big, brown, fluffy, and has floppy ears. His breath stinks sometimes. My mom gets annoyed when our pranton barks all night.

What is a pranton?

Puppy/dog

400

I love plartens on my hamburger! I prefer the chips over the spears. I also prefer the ones that are sour over the ones that are sweet. Did you know you can make them at home. Plartens are made with cucumbers and vinegar.

What are plartens?

Pickles

500

I started my snazzen this afternoon to get my weekend chores done. The motor started right up and I was ready to get to work. My yard was looking good as new and I put my snazzen back in the garage.

What is a snazzen?

lawnmower

A words

100

Mary practiced every day so she would be able to accomplish her dream. Her dream is to play the guitar in a band. If she doesn’t practice, her dreams may not come true.

What does accomplish mean?

a) lose something

b) fail at something

c) complete or achieve something

200

People called abolitionists worked hard during the civil war to abolish slavery. During this time period slaves were often beaten, whipped, and lived in horrible conditions.

What does abolish mean?

a) start something

b) put an end to something

c) enjoy something

300

Mark said he would join the club when pigs fly. That sounded absurd! Pigs can’t fly because they don’t have wings. I don’t think Mark knew what he was talking about.

What does absurd mean?

a) illogical; makes no sense

b) normal; common

c) factual

400

The dog became very aggressive when strangers came over to the house. He bit a few strangers and tried to bite many others. Aggressive dogs can be very scary.

What does aggressive mean?

a) calm; gentle

b) ready to attack

c) playful

500

I love the aroma of fresh cut flowers. Having them in my house makes me happy. They are so pretty and they smell fantastic.

What does aroma mean?

a) good smell

b) horrible smell

c) different types

Mystery words

100

My brother loves to eat rice. He hates spicy foods. He likes things that don’t have much flavor. I think rice tastes bland. I prefer
spicy foods.

What does bland mean?

a) no strong features; uninteresting

b) full of flavor

c) disgusting

200

The kids walked briskly to school. They were running late and it was cold outside. They wanted to get there as soon as possible.

What does briskly mean?

a) slowly

b) backwards

c) quickly

300

She tried to help with the experiment but she bungled it up. She spilled water on the floor, then broke the bottle. The experiment was ruined.

What does bungle mean?

a) correctly carry out a task

b) to do something incorrectly

c) confusion

400

The police officer told the robber to cease when he came out of the bank. There was nowhere for the thief to go. The pursuit was
over.

What does cease mean?

a) stop; end

b) continue

c) answer questions

500

Mrs. Jones was injured when the construction worker dropped a beam on her foot. The construction company had to compensate her for her injuries. Her lawyer made sure they would pay the doctor bills.

What does compensate mean?

a) give something (money) for an injury

b) injure someone

c) heal someone from an injury

Vocab word mixup

100

When we visited Mexico we needed to convert our money from dollars to pesos. Some places would not accept American dollars.

What does convert mean?

a) keep the same

b) earn

c) change

200

The Treaty of Paris (1898) concluded the Spanish American War. The war ended in 1898.

What does conclude mean?

a) start something

b) bring to an end

c) create something new

300

The fight between the two groups stemmed from a conflict over personal rights. The two groups were unable to come to an agreement about whether or not children should be allowed to discuss religion in schools.

What does conflict mean?

a) a strong disagreement

b) a peaceful demeanor

c) compromise

400

The teacher’s rules and expectations have remained consistent throughout the school year. She wanted to make sure her students were not surprised by a change in her expectations.

What does consistent mean?

a) help with understanding

b) remain the same over time

c) change over time

500

When you have trouble understanding a word in a book, you can use the surrounding context to help you figure out the meaning. The other words or sentences are full of clues and more information.

What does context mean?

a) pages in a book

b) clues to help with understanding

c) a definition

Use the clues

100

The king’s goal was to dominate the people who lived in his country. He wanted to control everything they did and said. He wanted complete control.

What does dominate mean?

a) be controlled by someone else

b) have control over

c) talk to people

200

After staying awake all night worried about the impending war, the president was drowsy the next day. He could barely keep his eyes
open.

What does drowsy mean?

a) to be awake

b) to sleep soundly

c) to be sleepy

300

It was important for the early settlers to understand which plants were edible. If they ate plants that were not edible there was a possibility they would get very sick or even die.

What does edible mean?

a) something that smells bad

b) something that will make you sick

c) something you can eat

400

The black rhino is an endangered animal. People killed numerous black rhinos a day for food or entertainment. Even if you visit Africa, there is little chance you will find this animal.

What does endangered mean?

a) at risk of extinction

b) an abundance

c) an animal

500

The thieves were able to evade capture by wearing costumes and changing cars often. The police couldn’t identify the thieves. More clues are needed to determine their identities.

What does evade mean?

a) avoid or escape using trickery

b) capture

c) commit a crime