Vocabulary in Context

37 Grade 5 English questions on Vocabulary in Context, with worked marking schemes. 37 questions are available on this topic in full.

1. Question 1

   1 mark

   Which word correctly completes: "The teacher gave the pupils _______ about the importance of punctuality."

   A. advice

   B. advise

   C. advices

   D. advising

   (1 mark)

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2. Question 2

   1 mark

   "The rain was torrential and the streets flooded quickly." The word "torrential" means:

   A. very heavy

   B. cold

   C. light

   D. expected

   (1 mark)

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3. Question 3

   1 mark

   "The detective carefully scrutinised the evidence." "Scrutinised" means:

   A. ignored

   B. examined closely

   C. destroyed

   D. collected

   (1 mark)

   Marking scheme

   B. scrutinised = examined carefully

4. Question 4

   1 mark

   "She felt a surge of pride when her name was called during the prize-giving ceremony."

   The word "surge" means:

   A. drop

   B. sudden strong feeling

   C. quiet feeling

   D. lack

   (1 mark)

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5. Question 5

   1 mark

   The opposite of "ancient" is:

   A. big

   B. famous

   C. modern

   D. old

   (1 mark)

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6. Question 6

   1 mark

   Which word means the same as "enormous"?

   A. tiny

   B. huge

   C. thin

   D. short

   (1 mark)

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7. Question 7

   1 mark

   The synonym of "brave" is:

   A. cowardly

   B. courageous

   C. timid

   D. weak

   (1 mark)

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8. Question 8

   1 mark

   Which sentence contains a simile?

   A. He is as fast as a cheetah.

   B. He runs like the wind.

   C. The lion roared.

   D. She runs very fast.

   (1 mark)

   Marking scheme

   A. 'as fast as a cheetah' is a simile (using 'as…as')

9. Question 9

   1 mark

   "The entrepreneur started a small business and grew it into a large company." An entrepreneur is someone who:

   A. invests in stocks

   B. studies business

   C. starts and runs a business

   D. works for the government

   (1 mark)

   Marking scheme

   C. entrepreneur = someone who starts a business

10. Question 10

    1 mark

    "Water is a scarce resource in many parts of Kenya." The word "scarce" means:

    A. plenty

    B. not enough

    C. cheap

    D. clean

    (1 mark)

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11. Question 11

    1 mark

    The suffix "-ful" in "careful" means:

    A. without

    B. full of

    C. before

    D. against

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12. Question 12

    1 mark

    The antonym of "noisy" is:

    A. crowded

    B. loud

    C. quiet

    D. busy

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13. Question 13

    1 mark

    "The government has taken measures to combat poverty in rural areas."

    "Combat" in this context means:

    A. encourage

    B. fight against

    C. cause

    D. study

    (1 mark)

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14. Question 14

    1 mark

    "Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances into the environment. Air pollution causes breathing problems. Water pollution harms fish and makes water unsafe to drink."

    The word "pollution" most likely means:

    A. cleaning the environment

    B. protecting water

    C. breathing fresh air

    D. adding harmful things to the environment

    (1 mark)

    Marking scheme

    D. Pollution = introducing harmful substances

15. Question 15

    1 mark

    "He was reluctant to speak in front of the class." The word "reluctant" means:

    A. eager

    B. excited

    C. confident

    D. unwilling

    (1 mark)

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16. Question 16

    1 mark

    The opposite of "generous" is:

    A. brave

    B. kind

    C. mean/selfish

    D. rich

    (1 mark)

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17. Question 17

    1 mark

    "The pupils were jubilant after winning the competition." "Jubilant" means:

    A. sad

    B. very happy

    C. tired

    D. angry

    (1 mark)

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18. Question 18

    1 mark

    "The abandoned house was covered in dust." The word "abandoned" means:

    A. painted

    B. beautiful

    C. new

    D. left empty

    (1 mark)

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19. Question 19

    1 mark

    "The industrious farmer woke up early every day." The word "industrious" means:

    A. old

    B. hardworking

    C. rich

    D. lazy

    (1 mark)

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20. Question 20

    1 mark

    "The teacher commended the pupil for good work." The word "commended" means:

    A. punished

    B. scolded

    C. ignored

    D. praised

    (1 mark)

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21. Question 21

    1 mark

    "The volcano erupted without warning, sending lava flowing down the mountain. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes."

    The word "evacuated" means:

    A. worked

    B. returned

    C. moved to safety

    D. celebrated

    (1 mark)

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22. Question 22

    1 mark

    "The frail old man could barely walk." The word "frail" means:

    A. weak

    B. tall

    C. angry

    D. strong

    (1 mark)

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23. Question 23

    1 mark

    "He was so famished he ate three plates of food." "Famished" means:

    A. excited

    B. tired

    C. very hungry

    D. thirsty

    (1 mark)

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24. Question 24

    1 mark

    Which is an example of alliteration?

    A. Life is a river.

    B. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

    C. The moon was bright.

    D. She is like a rose.

    (1 mark)

    Marking scheme

    B. Alliteration: repetition of initial consonant sounds

25. Question 25

    1 mark

    "She gave a candid response." "Candid" means:

    A. confusing

    B. honest and straightforward

    C. harsh

    D. dishonest

    (1 mark)

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26. Question 26

    1 mark

    The word "pre-" in "preview" means:

    A. against

    B. before

    C. after

    D. again

    (1 mark)

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27. Question 27

    1 mark

    "After the long journey, the travellers were parched." "Parched" most likely means:

    A. well-rested

    B. hungry

    C. excited

    D. very thirsty

    (1 mark)

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28. Question 28

    1 mark

    Which sentence contains a metaphor?

    A. He was as brave as a lion.

    B. Life is like a journey.

    C. Life is a journey.

    D. She looked like a queen.

    (1 mark)

    Marking scheme

    C. 'Life is a journey' — metaphor (no 'like' or 'as')

29. Question 29

    1 mark

    "The pupils were very enthusiastic about the trip." The word "enthusiastic" means:

    A. bored

    B. tired

    C. scared

    D. excited

    (1 mark)

    Marking scheme

    D. enthusiastic = excited and eager

30. Question 30

    1 mark

    "She whispered to avoid waking the sleeping baby." The word "whispered" means:

    A. spoke very loudly

    B. shouted

    C. sang softly

    D. spoke very quietly

    (1 mark)

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31. Question 31

    1 mark

    "The athlete persevered through the pain and finished the race." "Persevered" means:

    A. complained

    B. continued despite difficulty

    C. gave up

    D. celebrated

    (1 mark)

    Marking scheme

    B. persevered = kept going despite hardship

32. Question 32

    1 mark

    The word "beautiful" changes to a noun as:

    A. beautifully

    B. beautify

    C. beauty

    D. beauties

    (1 mark)

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33. Question 33

    1 mark

    Which word means the same as "courageous"?

    A. weak

    B. slow

    C. scared

    D. brave

    (1 mark)

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34. Question 34

    1 mark

    The prefix "un-" in "unhappy" means:

    A. very

    B. again

    C. not

    D. before

    (1 mark)

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35. Question 35

    1 mark

    "The dilapidated building was finally demolished." "Dilapidated" means:

    A. new

    B. expensive

    C. falling apart

    D. beautiful

    (1 mark)

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36. Question 36

    1 mark

    "Aeroplanes fly at a high altitude. At this height, the air is very thin and temperatures are extremely low."

    The word "altitude" means:

    A. height above sea level

    B. speed

    C. direction

    D. distance

    (1 mark)

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37. Question 37

    1 mark

    "The Maasai are a pastoral community found in Kenya and Tanzania. They keep large herds of cattle, sheep, and goats. The Maasai value their cattle and use them as a measure of wealth."

    The word "pastoral" most likely means:

    A. building houses

    B. keeping animals

    C. farming crops

    D. fishing

    (1 mark)

    Marking scheme

    B. Context clue: keep herds → pastoral = animal keeping

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