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SAT Reading and Writing skill page

SAT Words in Context Practice

Use nearby clues to choose the meaning of a word as it is used in the passage.

Practice Words in Context in DolphinPractice questions
10-15 min practice time3 questions on pageCraft and Structure
Practice time10-15 min
Practice questions3 questions
Best forCraft and Structure

What this tests

What to know for this SAT skill

Dolphin practice questions

Practice your skill

Question 1 of 3Easy
In the sentence "The scientist proposed a novel method," what does "novel" most nearly mean?
  1. fictional
  2. new
  3. lengthy
  4. ordinary
Show answer and solution
Correct answerB. new

Solution walkthrough

  1. In this context, "novel" describes a method that is new or original, not a book.
Question 2 of 3Medium
In the sentence "The experiment yielded three clear patterns," what does "yielded" most nearly mean?
  1. produced
  2. surrendered
  3. delayed
  4. ignored
Show answer and solution
Correct answerA. produced

Solution walkthrough

  1. The experiment produced three patterns.
  2. The context is about results, not surrendering.
Question 3 of 3Hard
In the sentence "The new data tempered the team's optimism," what does "tempered" most nearly mean?
  1. increased
  2. moderated
  3. proved
  4. replaced
Show answer and solution
Correct answerB. moderated

Solution walkthrough

  1. The data made the team less overly optimistic, so "tempered" means moderated or restrained.

Avoid these traps

Common mistakes on this skill

Choosing the most familiar definition

SAT vocabulary questions ask for meaning in context, not the first definition you remember.

Ignoring tone

Tone can reveal whether a word is positive, negative, or neutral in the passage.

Reading only the sentence with the word

Nearby sentences often provide the clue that disambiguates the word.

Study plan

How to practice this skill in Dolphin

Dolphin Web gives you a personalized SAT study plan with lessons, unlimited Pip AI help, practice questions, full-length tests, and mistake review. The iPhone and Android apps are free. See plans.

  1. Cover the answer choices and predict the meaning from context.
  2. Check the sentence before and after the word.
  3. Eliminate choices that do not fit the passage tone.
  4. Plug the remaining answer into the sentence and reread it.
Practice Words in Context in Dolphin

Related practice

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Skill cluster

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FAQ

Questions about SAT Words in Context Practice

Do SAT Words in Context questions require memorizing hard vocabulary?

Not usually. They mostly test whether you can use context to choose the right meaning of a word.

Why do common words appear in vocabulary questions?

Common words often have multiple meanings, and the SAT asks which meaning fits the passage.

How should I practice vocabulary in context?

Practice predicting a word meaning before looking at answer choices, then verify it using nearby clues.