Worksheet

After the Final: Verify the Words

Students verify word meanings in a girls’ soccer report by testing substitutions, checking context, and consulting dictionary entries.

Grade 7ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toL.7.4.d

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Single worksheet
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1 Common Core standard
Printable answer key
13 questions
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Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 7
Subject: ELA
Question types: Multiple choice, Matching, Circle the answer, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students verify guessed word meanings by testing them against specific context clues.
Students use dictionary definitions and parts of speech to confirm or revise word meanings.

How to use

Have students read the report before answering. Use the supplied dictionary entries for the second section, then discuss why a possible definition may not fit a particular sentence.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

L.7.4.d

Check a guessed word meaning by testing it in context or looking it up in a dictionary.

Preview

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Name Date

After the Final: Verify the Words

Test guessed meanings against a sports report and dictionary entries.

Test the Context

Read the report. For each proposed meaning, check whether it fits the surrounding details, not just the target sentence.

A Narrow Lead, a Measured Finish

1At halftime of the district girls’ soccer final, Brookfield trailed Westhaven by one goal. Brookfield’s bench was subdued. Players spoke in low voices while coach Selena Cho arranged magnetic markers on her board. Beyond the fence, spectators waited beside the concession stand.

2Brookfield had conceded the opening goal after a pass across its penalty area reached a Westhaven forward. Goalkeeper Ines tapped her gloves together and called the defenders closer. Rather than blame anyone, she described where the next pass might go. The discussion lasted only a few seconds.

3After halftime, Brookfield rallied. Its midfielders began meeting passes instead of waiting for them, and the team created three scoring chances in quick succession. On the third, forward Zuri scored the equalizer. The substitutes sprang up, but the players on the field returned quickly to their positions.

4The decisive goal came with six minutes remaining. Zuri drew two defenders toward the sideline, then passed backward to Hana, who struck the ball into the lower corner. No further goals followed. Brookfield’s one-goal margin remained intact through the final whistle, giving the team the district title.

5Westhaven disputed a throw-in decision during the closing minutes. Two players pointed toward the same patch of sideline but indicated opposite directions. The referee repeated the signal, and play continued. From the press area, the reporter could not clearly see which player had last touched the ball.

6Hana stayed composed as Westhaven pressed forward. She checked behind her before receiving each pass and chose open teammates instead of hurriedly kicking the ball away. Her expression barely changed when a Westhaven shot went wide. At the whistle, however, she dropped to her knees and laughed.

7In an interview afterward, Ines called the second half a collective effort. She named a substitute who had closed down passing lanes and a defender who had redirected an awkward bouncing ball. The official scoring record listed Zuri and Hana, but Ines’s account included contributions that had produced no goals.

A reader guesses that “subdued” in paragraph 1 means “physically exhausted.” Which evaluation best tests that guess against the context?

A. Keep it: the coach’s magnetic markers show that the players needed a rest.
B. Revise it: the paragraph describes distracted players who ignored the coach’s instructions.
C. Revise it: the paragraph describes quiet behavior, not the players’ physical condition.
D. Keep it: the halftime score shows that the players had used up their energy.

Underline the sentence from paragraph 1 that directly supports interpreting “subdued” as quiet or restrained.

At halftime of the district girls’ soccer final, Brookfield trailed Westhaven by one goal.Brookfield’s bench was subdued.Players spoke in low voices while coach Selena Cho arranged magnetic markers on her board.Beyond the fence, spectators waited beside the concession stand.

Test the guess that “rallied” in paragraph 3 means “recovered and began performing better.” Which substitution preserves the report’s meaning?

A. After halftime, Brookfield celebrated its completed championship victory.
B. After halftime, Brookfield recovered and improved its attacking play.
C. After halftime, Brookfield appealed to the referee for assistance.
D. After halftime, Brookfield gathered to discuss a different formation.

A reader guesses that “decisive” means “determining the result.” Which detail from paragraph 4 best confirms that meaning for Hana’s goal?

A. “then passed backward to Hana”
B. “No further goals followed.”
C. “who struck the ball into the lower corner”
D. “Zuri drew two defenders toward the sideline”

A reader thinks “collective” in paragraph 7 means “performed by the goal scorers.” Test that meaning against two details from the paragraph. Explain whether to keep or revise the guess.

Check the Dictionary

Use these worksheet dictionary entries and the report together. A word can have several correct definitions, but only one may fit its use in a sentence.

concede (verb) 1. To admit that something is true. 2. To allow an opponent to score a goal or point. 3. To give up a claim or right.
margin (noun) 1. The blank space along the edge of a page. 2. An amount of extra space or time available. 3. The difference between two scores or amounts.
dispute (verb) 1. To question or argue against something. 2. To compete for control or possession of something.
composed (adjective) Calm and in control of one’s emotions.
compose (verb) 1. To create a piece of writing or music. 2. To form or make up something; often used in the phrase “be composed of.”
intact (adjective) Whole; not damaged, broken, or lost.

A reader guesses that “conceded” in paragraph 2 means “admitted that something was true.” Which dictionary check correctly revises the guess?

A. Use definition 1 because Ines agreed with the defenders’ explanation.
B. Use definition 1 because Brookfield admitted that a pass was possible.
C. Use definition 2 because Westhaven scored against Brookfield.
D. Use definition 3 because Brookfield gave up its right to play.

A reader checks “margin” in paragraph 4 and chooses definition 1 because it appears first. What is the best correction?

A. Choose definition 3; “one-goal” identifies a difference between scores.
B. Choose definition 2; “six minutes” identifies extra playing time.
C. Keep definition 1; the report will be printed on a page.
D. Keep definition 1; the goal was struck into a lower corner.

Which replacement confirms the appropriate dictionary meaning of “disputed” in “Westhaven disputed a throw-in decision during the closing minutes”?

A. Westhaven competed to possess a throw-in decision during the closing minutes.
B. Westhaven waited to hear a throw-in decision during the closing minutes.
C. Westhaven agreed to accept a throw-in decision during the closing minutes.
D. Westhaven argued against a throw-in decision during the closing minutes.

A reader looks up “composed” in paragraph 6 and guesses “created music.” Which check resolves the confusion?

A. Use the verb entry because “stayed” tells when Hana wrote something.
B. Use the adjective entry because the word describes the speed of a pass.
C. Use the verb entry because the paragraph describes what Hana was made of.
D. Use the adjective entry because the word describes Hana’s emotional state.

10.

Match each meaning check to the evidence that verifies it. Use the report and the dictionary entries.

“Intact” means the lead was not lost.
“Composed” means calm rather than hurried.
“Disputed” means questioned rather than accepted.

A. Players indicated opposite directions before the referee repeated the signal.
B. Hana chose open teammates instead of hurriedly kicking the ball away.
C. The one-goal difference continued through the final whistle.

11.

A student says, “The dictionary lists ‘to admit that something is true’ under concede, so that meaning must fit paragraph 2.” What is the weakness in this reasoning?

A. It assumes that a listed meaning fits without testing it in the sentence.
B. It assumes that dictionary entries can include more than one meaning.
C. It assumes that a past-tense word cannot be checked under its base form.
D. It assumes that the report supplies enough information to identify the scorer.

12.

In a separate note, a reporter writes, “The photographer left a wide margin around the printed team photo.” Which conclusion follows from checking the entry for margin?

A. The page-space meaning fits the note, while the score-difference meaning fits the report.
B. The score-difference meaning fits both because both sentences concern the soccer final.
C. The extra-time meaning fits the note, while the page-space meaning fits the report.
D. The page-space meaning fits both because both sentences could appear in print.

13.

A reader guesses that “intact” means “larger than before.” Use the dictionary entry and the sequence of scoring in paragraph 4 to explain why that guess should be revised.