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6th grade Work out a word from its sentence worksheet

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Work out a word from its sentence

Grade 6 Reading Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    The Quiet Judge (story)

    [1] At the county fair, most of the judges were talkative, chatting with every baker who brought a pie. [2] Mrs. Ibarra was different: she was a reserved woman who studied each entry in silence before saying a word. [3] Some contestants found her silence unsettling, but others admired how thoroughly she worked. [4] She tilted each slice toward the light, inspected the crust, and took small bites between sips of water.

    [5] When one baker asked her opinion, she paused and said only that the crust was “delicate.” [6] The baker was puzzled, since the word could be praise or a complaint. [7] Then Mrs. Ibarra added, “I mean it breaks like glass, and that takes real skill.” [8] The baker's worried face relaxed, and she thanked the judge.

    [9] The blue ribbon went to a modest man who had baked his first pie that year. [10] He accepted the ribbon with a quiet nod and tucked it into his pocket, saying little about his win.

  2. Jun reads sentences 1 and 2. What does reserved most likely mean in sentence 2?

    • eager to chat with the bakers
    • kept for a certain person, as a seat is
    • quiet and slow to share her thoughts
    • cold and unfriendly toward the contestants
  3. Kira reads sentences 5 to 7. What does delicate most likely mean in sentence 5?

    • weak and badly made, so it cracks
    • sweet and light in flavor
    • too fragile to be eaten by a judge
    • thin and fine, so it breaks easily
  4. The Quiet Judge (story)

    [1] At the county fair, most of the judges were talkative, chatting with every baker who brought a pie. [2] Mrs. Ibarra was different: she was a reserved woman who studied each entry in silence before saying a word. [3] Some contestants found her silence unsettling, but others admired how thoroughly she worked. [4] She tilted each slice toward the light, inspected the crust, and took small bites between sips of water.

    [5] When one baker asked her opinion, she paused and said only that the crust was “delicate.” [6] The baker was puzzled, since the word could be praise or a complaint. [7] Then Mrs. Ibarra added, “I mean it breaks like glass, and that takes real skill.” [8] The baker's worried face relaxed, and she thanked the judge.

    [9] The blue ribbon went to a modest man who had baked his first pie that year. [10] He accepted the ribbon with a quiet nod and tucked it into his pocket, saying little about his win. Entry (noun): 1. the act of coming in; 2. a doorway or gate; 3. something submitted to a contest; 4. one note in a list or diary.

  5. Luz reads sentence 2. Which numbered meaning of entry fits “each entry”?

    • Meaning 3, something submitted to a contest
    • Meaning 4, one note in a list or diary
    • Meaning 2, a doorway or gate to the fairground
    • Meaning 1, the act of coming in, as in “her entry into the hall”
  6. Watchers of the Night Sky (article)

    [1] For decades, scientists had sparse information about small songbirds, because the birds fly at night and are hard to see. [2] Then volunteer watchers began logging every sighting on a shared website. [3] The volunteers were not experts, yet their records proved remarkably reliable when checked against bird-banding data. [4] Within five years, the website held millions of entries, a dense collection compared with the earlier scattered notes.

    [5] The records yield surprising patterns. [6] For example, some warblers now arrive in spring nearly two weeks earlier than they did fifty years ago. [7] Researchers hesitate to blame one cause, but they note that warmer springs may be moving the insects that birds eat.

    [8] They stress that the volunteers' work does not replace careful study. [9] Instead, it points scientists toward places and seasons where careful study will pay off.

  7. Pia reads sentences 1 and 4. What does sparse most likely mean in sentence 1?

    • mostly about small songbirds
    • thin and spread out, with little of it
    • nonexistent, with no records of any kind
    • thick and packed with detail
  8. Watchers of the Night Sky (article)

    [1] For decades, scientists had sparse information about small songbirds, because the birds fly at night and are hard to see. [2] Then volunteer watchers began logging every sighting on a shared website. [3] The volunteers were not experts, yet their records proved remarkably reliable when checked against bird-banding data. [4] Within five years, the website held millions of entries, a dense collection compared with the earlier scattered notes.

    [5] The records yield surprising patterns. [6] For example, some warblers now arrive in spring nearly two weeks earlier than they did fifty years ago. [7] Researchers hesitate to blame one cause, but they note that warmer springs may be moving the insects that birds eat.

    [8] They stress that the volunteers' work does not replace careful study. [9] Instead, it points scientists toward places and seasons where careful study will pay off. Yield: 1. (verb) to give way under pressure; 2. (verb) to produce or provide; 3. (verb) to let another go first; 4. (noun) the amount that a crop produces.

  9. Tala reads sentence 5. Which numbered meaning of yield fits “The records yield surprising patterns”?

    • Meaning 4, the amount that a crop produces
    • Meaning 2, to produce or provide
    • Meaning 3, to let another go first, as at an intersection
    • Meaning 1, to give way under pressure
  10. Watchers of the Night Sky (article)

    [1] For decades, scientists had sparse information about small songbirds, because the birds fly at night and are hard to see. [2] Then volunteer watchers began logging every sighting on a shared website. [3] The volunteers were not experts, yet their records proved remarkably reliable when checked against bird-banding data. [4] Within five years, the website held millions of entries, a dense collection compared with the earlier scattered notes.

    [5] The records yield surprising patterns. [6] For example, some warblers now arrive in spring nearly two weeks earlier than they did fifty years ago. [7] Researchers hesitate to blame one cause, but they note that warmer springs may be moving the insects that birds eat.

    [8] They stress that the volunteers' work does not replace careful study. [9] Instead, it points scientists toward places and seasons where careful study will pay off. Point: 1. (verb) to aim a finger or object at something; 2. (verb) to show where to look or go; 3. (verb) to sharpen to a tip; 4. (noun) a spot or moment in time.

  11. Zee reads sentence 9. Which numbered meaning of points fits “it points scientists toward places and seasons”?

    • Meaning 1, to aim a finger at something
    • Meaning 3, to sharpen something to a tip
    • Meaning 4, a spot or moment in time
    • Meaning 2, to show where to look
  12. The Final Game (story)

    [1] Nadia was meticulous about everything she did, from lining up her pencils by length to rechecking her math twice. [2] So when she lost the first chess game of the final, her teammates expected her to collapse. [3] Instead she asked for a short break, walked to the window, and stared at the parking lot for a full minute. [4] Her coach tried to console her, but Nadia shook her head and said she was not upset, only thinking.

    [5] When she returned to the table, her moves were quick and steady. [6] She traded pieces carefully, avoided risky attacks, and slowly pinned her opponent's king. [7] The opponent, a tall boy who had been confident all day, began to fidget. [8] After forty minutes he conceded the game with a handshake.

    [9] Nadia did not celebrate. [10] She calmly set up the pieces for the deciding game, as though nothing unusual had happened.

  13. Bo reads sentence 1. What does meticulous most likely mean in that sentence?

    • careless and casual about details
    • too nervous to relax or enjoy anything
    • strong at both chess and math
    • extremely careful about small details
  14. The Final Game (story)

    [1] Nadia was meticulous about everything she did, from lining up her pencils by length to rechecking her math twice. [2] So when she lost the first chess game of the final, her teammates expected her to collapse. [3] Instead she asked for a short break, walked to the window, and stared at the parking lot for a full minute. [4] Her coach tried to console her, but Nadia shook her head and said she was not upset, only thinking.

    [5] When she returned to the table, her moves were quick and steady. [6] She traded pieces carefully, avoided risky attacks, and slowly pinned her opponent's king. [7] The opponent, a tall boy who had been confident all day, began to fidget. [8] After forty minutes he conceded the game with a handshake.

    [9] Nadia did not celebrate. [10] She calmly set up the pieces for the deciding game, as though nothing unusual had happened. Console: 1. (verb) to comfort someone who is upset; 2. (noun) a panel of controls on a machine; 3. (noun) a narrow table placed against a wall; 4. (noun) a game system that connects to a TV.

  15. Esme reads sentence 4. Which numbered meaning of console fits “her coach tried to console her”?

    • Meaning 1, to comfort someone who is upset
    • Meaning 2, a panel of controls on a machine
    • Meaning 4, a game system that connects to a TV
    • Meaning 3, a narrow table placed against a wall
  16. The Final Game (story)

    [1] Nadia was meticulous about everything she did, from lining up her pencils by length to rechecking her math twice. [2] So when she lost the first chess game of the final, her teammates expected her to collapse. [3] Instead she asked for a short break, walked to the window, and stared at the parking lot for a full minute. [4] Her coach tried to console her, but Nadia shook her head and said she was not upset, only thinking.

    [5] When she returned to the table, her moves were quick and steady. [6] She traded pieces carefully, avoided risky attacks, and slowly pinned her opponent's king. [7] The opponent, a tall boy who had been confident all day, began to fidget. [8] After forty minutes he conceded the game with a handshake.

    [9] Nadia did not celebrate. [10] She calmly set up the pieces for the deciding game, as though nothing unusual had happened. Pin: 1. (verb) to fasten with a thin metal pin; 2. (verb) to trap a chess piece so it cannot safely move; 3. (verb) to blame someone for something; 4. (noun) a small badge worn on clothing.

  17. Jun reads sentence 6. Which numbered meaning of pinned fits “slowly pinned her opponent's king”?

    • Meaning 4, a small badge worn on a shirt
    • Meaning 2, trapped so it cannot safely move
    • Meaning 3, blamed for something that went wrong
    • Meaning 1, fastened with a thin metal pin
  18. The Final Game (story)

    [1] Nadia was meticulous about everything she did, from lining up her pencils by length to rechecking her math twice. [2] So when she lost the first chess game of the final, her teammates expected her to collapse. [3] Instead she asked for a short break, walked to the window, and stared at the parking lot for a full minute. [4] Her coach tried to console her, but Nadia shook her head and said she was not upset, only thinking.

    [5] When she returned to the table, her moves were quick and steady. [6] She traded pieces carefully, avoided risky attacks, and slowly pinned her opponent's king. [7] The opponent, a tall boy who had been confident all day, began to fidget. [8] After forty minutes he conceded the game with a handshake.

    [9] Nadia did not celebrate. [10] She calmly set up the pieces for the deciding game, as though nothing unusual had happened.

  19. Luz reads sentence 7. What does fidget most likely mean in that sentence?

    • sit perfectly still and look confident
    • think hard about the next move
    • jump up and shout at the referee
    • move around in small, nervous ways
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6th grade Work out a word from its sentence worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Work out a word from its sentence. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can work out what a new word means from the details around it, not only from a definition.
  • I can tell which meaning of a word with several meanings fits the sentence, and say what job the word does.
  • I can combine clues from more than one sentence, and test a classmate's guess against the passage.
  • I can say what a word adds that a near-synonym would not.

Words to know

context: The words and sentences around a word

clue: A word or phrase near the target that hints at its meaning

multiple-meaning word: A word with more than one meaning, like "spring"

contrast clue: A clue that says the opposite, such as "unlike" or "but"

connotation: The feeling a word carries beyond its plain meaning

swap test: Put your guess in the sentence and see if it still makes sense

Common mistakes

When working out a word from its sentence, your child chose a meaning that is the opposite of what the clues show. Ask which words point the other way.

When working out a word from its sentence, your child chose a real meaning of the word that does not fit this sentence. Ask them to swap each meaning in and reread.

When working out a word from its sentence, your child chose another real meaning of the word that this sentence does not use. Ask which meaning the nearby words support.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with work out a word from its sentence?

When working out a word from its sentence, your child chose a meaning that is the opposite of what the clues show. Ask which words point the other way.

Are these 6th grade reading worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More grade 6 reading

See all grade 6 reading

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