What is the CCSS-grade appropriate approach to determining meaning of multiple-meaning words in context?

• A. Memorize dictionary definitions
• B. Determine meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language
• C. Ignore context
• D. Focus on literal meaning

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how to figure out what a word with more than one meaning means by looking at how it’s used in the sentence and the surrounding text, including any figurative language. The best approach is to determine meaning from context—read the sentence and nearby clues, and notice whether the writer intends a literal sense or a figurative one. This helps you decide whether a word like bank refers to a financial institution or the side of a river, or whether a word like bright means smart or well lit, based on how the other words frame it. Relying only on dictionary definitions ignores how words shift meaning in real writing, and ignoring context or sticking to a strictly literal interpretation misses the figurative ways authors convey ideas.