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 "shelter" and "shine." Which word would appear on this page?
A) Sheet
B) Ship
C) Sheriff
D) Should
"Sheriff" falls alphabetically between "shelter" and "shine" (she-r comes after she-l and before shi-n), so it belongs on that dictionary page.
2. A dictionary gives three definitions for "light": 1. brightness from the sun; 2. not heavy; 3. to set on fire. In "Please light the candle," which definition applies?
A) Definition 1
B) Definition 3
C) Definition 2
D) All three definitions
In "Please light the candle," the word "light" means to set on fire, which matches Definition 3. The sentence context tells you this is an action, not brightness or weight.
3. A thesaurus suggests "ancient," "elderly," and "vintage" as synonyms for "old." Which best fits "an ___ oak tree"?
A) Elderly
B) Vintage
C) Ancient
D) Senior
"Ancient" is the best fit because it describes something very old in age, which suits a tree. "Elderly" is used for people and "vintage" is used for items like cars or clothing.
4. Which part of a dictionary entry helps you decide how many syllables the word "information" has?
A) The definition
B) The example sentence
C) The pronunciation respelling
D) The part of speech label
The pronunciation respelling breaks the word into syllables with dots or spaces (in-fer-MAY-shun), so you can count four syllables and see which one is stressed.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. If guide words are "dance" and "dare," the word "dark" would not appear on that page.
"Dark" comes after "dare" alphabetically (dar-k vs. dar-e), so it falls past the last guide word and would appear on the next page instead.
2. A thesaurus synonym must share the same part of speech as the original word.
If the original word is a verb, you need a verb synonym to replace it -- swapping in a noun or adjective would break the grammar of your sentence.
3. The stressed syllable in a pronunciation key is shown with an accent mark.
The accent mark (a small slash above a syllable) shows which part of the word you say louder, like the first syllable in "PIC-ture."
4. Replacing "very big" with a single precise word like "enormous" makes writing more concise .
Using one strong word like "enormous" instead of the two-word phrase "very big" tightens your writing and delivers the same meaning in fewer words.
5. When two words are spelled the same but have different origins, they are listed as separate numbered entries.
Words spelled the same but with different origins (like "bat" the animal and "bat" the stick) get separate numbered entries so the dictionary can treat each meaning independently.