Dictionary and thesaurus skills

Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Dictionary entry

   Bunk (BUNK)
   noun 1 a narrow bed fixed to a wall or stacked above another bed.
   noun 2 (informal) nonsense.
   Example: Ren climbed into the top bunk.

2. 1.

   Esme reads: “The rumor about a snow day was bunk.” Which numbered meaning fits, and what does the label tell the writer?

   • Meaning 2, so it is a good word for a formal science report
   • Meaning 1, because it is listed first
   • Meaning 2, because the label informal suits a casual sentence about a rumor
   • Meaning 1, because a rumor can start in a place where people sleep and talk at night
3. 2.

   Fortnight (FORT-nyt) noun a period of two weeks. Usage: chiefly British. Example: The ferry runs once a fortnight. Kira reads the entry for fortnight. A student in Ohio is writing a school report for local readers. What does the label suggest?

   • The word means exactly fourteen days in Britain and something else in the U.S.
   • The word is formal, so it fits a legal paper but not a school report
   • Many American readers say two weeks, so fortnight may sound unfamiliar to them
   • The word is a place name, so a report must name a British city

4. Dictionary entry

   Isotope (EYE-suh-tohp)
   noun (chemistry) one of two or more forms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons.
   Example: Carbon-14 is an isotope of carbon.

5. 3.

   Zee reads the entry for isotope. What does the label (chemistry) tell the reader?

   • The meaning given is the one used in the subject of chemistry
   • The word is slang that chemists use when they talk with friends
   • The label shows how to say the word aloud
   • The word can be used inside a chemistry class, not outside it

6. Dictionary entry

   Refuse (REF-yoos)
   noun garbage; trash.
   refuse (ri-FYOOZ)
   verb to say no to; to decline.
   Example: The crew hauled the refuse to the dump.

7. 4.

   Ari reads: “The crew hauled the refuse to the dump.” Which pronunciation and part of speech fit the sentence?

   • REF-yoos, a verb
   • ri-FYOOZ, a noun
   • ri-FYOOZ, a verb
   • REF-yoos, a noun

8. Dictionary entry

   Conduct (KAHN-dukt)
   noun the way a person behaves.
   conduct (kun-DUKT)
   verb 1 to carry out or manage. 2 to lead or guide. 3 to carry (heat or electricity).
   Example: Scientists conduct experiments.

9. 5.

   Bo reads: “Scientists conduct experiments.” Which pronunciation and part of speech fit?

   • kun-DUKT, a noun
   • KAHN-dukt, a verb
   • kun-DUKT, a verb
   • KAHN-dukt, a noun

10. Dictionary entry

    Permit (PUR-mit)
    noun an official paper that allows a person to do something.
    permit (per-MIT)
    verb to allow.
    Example: Students need a permit to park on campus.

11. 6.

    Luz reads: “Students need a permit to park on campus.” Which pronunciation and part of speech fit?

    • per-MIT, a noun
    • PUR-mit, a noun
    • PUR-mit, a verb
    • per-MIT, a verb

12. Dictionary entry

    Foundation (fown-DAY-shun)
    noun 1 the solid base a building stands on.
    noun 2 the basic idea or fact that something rests on.
    noun 3 an organization that gives money to help a cause.
    noun 4 a first layer of makeup.
    Example: The new bridge has a deep foundation.

13. 7.

    Tala reads: “The survey provided a foundation for the club's argument.” Which numbered meaning fits foundation?

    • the solid base a building stands on
    • a survey that the club ran
    • an organization that gives money to help a cause
    • the basic idea or fact that something rests on

14. Dictionary entry

    Interest (IN-trist)
    noun 1 curiosity about something; attention.
    noun 2 money paid for borrowing, or earned on savings.
    noun 3 a share in a business or property.
    noun 4 something a person enjoys doing.
    Example: Kira has an interest in birds.

15. 8.

    Ren reads: “The savings account earns interest every month.” Which numbered meaning fits interest?

    • something that a person enjoys doing for fun
    • a share in the ownership of a business or property
    • curiosity about something; attention paid to it
    • money paid for borrowing, or earned on savings

16. Dictionary entry

    Issue (ISH-oo)
    noun 1 a topic that people discuss, debate or worry about.
    noun 2 one copy of a magazine or newspaper in a series.
    noun 3 the act of giving something out.
    verb 4 to give out officially.
    Example: Litter is an issue in the park.

17. 9.

    Jun reads: “The magazine's May issue has a story about owls.” Which numbered meaning fits issue?

    • a topic that people discuss, debate or worry about
    • the act of giving something out
    • one copy of a magazine or newspaper in a series
    • to give out officially

18. Dictionary entry

    Reference shelf:
    Dictionary: spellings, pronunciations, parts of speech, numbered meanings and word origins.
    Thesaurus: lists of words with related meanings, grouped by shade of meaning.
    Glossary in a math textbook: terms from math, with the meaning the book uses.
    Atlas: maps and place names.
    The word in question: resilient.

19. 10.

    Noah wants to know the part of speech and the origin of the word resilient. Which reference helps most?

    • The math glossary, because it explains how words are built
    • The atlas, because it shows where the word began
    • The thesaurus, because it lists the parts of speech of related words
    • The dictionary, because it gives the part of speech and the origin