Which sentence demonstrates the use of context clues to infer meaning?

• A. They rely on the title alone.
• B. They require you to memorize dictionary definitions.
• C. They only help with pronunciation.
• D. They use surrounding text to infer meaning.

Answer: (D)

Using context clues means looking at the words around an unfamiliar term to guess its meaning. When you read, writers often sprinkle hints—like a brief definition, an example, a contrast, or a restatement—within nearby sentences, so you can infer what a word means without stopping to look it up. The sentence that uses surrounding text to figure out meaning is showing this exact skill in action. That’s why it’s the best choice: it demonstrates using the nearby words and ideas to unlock meaning.

Relying on the title alone doesn’t involve the surrounding sentence clues. Memorizing dictionary definitions removes inference from the reading process, and focusing only on pronunciation doesn’t address meaning at all.