Dictionary and Thesaurus Skills — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. The guide words on a page are "maple" and "market." Which word would be on this page?
A) Magic
B) March
C) Matter
D) Mango
March comes alphabetically between maple and market (mar-c before mar-k), so it would appear on that page.
2. A dictionary shows two definitions for "bark": 1. the outer covering of a tree; 2. the sound a dog makes. In "The bark peeled off the oak," which definition applies?
A) Definition 2
B) Both definitions
C) Definition 1
D) Neither definition
Wait — the dog park context means a dog is present, so "bark" refers to the sound a dog makes (Definition 2). The correct answer should be Definition 2.
3. Which pronunciation symbol shows that the first syllable of "pencil" is stressed?
A) A tilde over the e
B) An accent mark before "pen"
C) A line under "cil"
D) A dot between both syllables
An accent or stress mark placed before or above the stressed syllable indicates which syllable to emphasize.
4. A student replaces "nice" with "gorgeous" in the sentence "She is a nice person." Why is this a poor choice?
A) Gorgeous is not a real word
B) Gorgeous describes appearance, not personality
C) Nice and gorgeous are antonyms
D) A thesaurus never lists gorgeous
Nice (pleasant personality) and gorgeous (physical appearance) are not interchangeable — context determines the right synonym.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. When two guide words are "cabin" and "cage," the word "cable" would appear on that page.
Cable (cab-l) falls alphabetically between cabin (cab-i) and cage (cag-e), so it would appear on that page.
2. Choosing the wrong synonym can change the meaning of your writing.
Synonyms have subtle differences — selecting the wrong one can shift or distort the intended meaning.
3. A pronunciation key uses common words as examples so you can hear each sound.
Pronunciation keys show familiar words (like "cat" for the short-a sound) as reference examples for each phonetic symbol.
4. The entry word in a dictionary is usually printed in bold type.
Bold type makes the entry word stand out from the definition and other information in the entry.
5. Checking multiple definitions helps you pick the one that matches the context .
When a word has multiple definitions, context — how the word is used in the sentence — determines the correct one.