Academic Words in Context is a free printable Grade 5 English worksheet on choosing what an academic word means here, aligned to Common Core standard RI.5.4. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
1.The arduous climb took them nine hours. What does "arduous" mean here?
A.very entertaining
B.needing a lot of hard effort
C.requiring no effort
D.extremely short
2.Adverse weather delayed the launch by a week. What does "adverse" mean here?
A.completely neutral
B.long expected
C.unfavorable; working against you
D.helpful and favorable
3.Her concise summary covered the whole report. What does "concise" mean here?
A.badly spelled
B.saying much in few words
C.highly decorated
D.long and rambling
4.Their hypothesis was that light affected the growth rate. What does "hypothesis" mean here?
A.a formal apology
B.an idea put forward to be tested
C.a proven fact
D.a type of graph
5.The instruction was ambiguous, so half the class did it differently. What does "ambiguous" mean here?
A.able to be understood in more than one way
B.recently written
C.perfectly clear
D.extremely long
6.The committee reached a consensus after two hours. What does "consensus" mean here?
A.general agreement among a group
B.a written record
C.a sharp disagreement
D.a formal complaint
7.Farmers anticipate the first frost each fall. What does "anticipate" mean here?
A.to measure exactly
B.to forget entirely
C.to describe afterward
D.to expect something before it happens
8.The two species have a reciprocal relationship. What does "reciprocal" mean here?
A.happening by accident
B.going one way only
C.given and received in return
D.lasting a short time
LessonPrint · RI.5.4 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Academic Words in Context
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.needing a lot of hard effort
2.unfavorable; working against you
3.saying much in few words
4.an idea put forward to be tested
5.able to be understood in more than one way
6.general agreement among a group
7.to expect something before it happens
8.given and received in return
Questions about Academic Words in Context
What does the Academic Words in Context worksheet cover?
It practices choosing what an academic word means here — 8 questions for Grade 5, all on Common Core RI.5.4: Work out academic and subject vocabulary from this text. The instruction to students is “Circle the right meaning”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which Common Core standard does Academic Words in Context practice?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.4 — RI.5.4, under Reading: Informational Text for Grade 5. The published standard reads: “Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Academic Words in Context is written for Grade 5, typically ages 10-11. It is one of the sheets on RI.5.4, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Academic Words in Context come with an answer key?
Yes. All 8 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Academic Words in Context can I print?
25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is Academic Words in Context free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Academic Words in Context, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
More practice for RI.5.4
Work out academic and subject vocabulary from this text.