Many words have more than one meaning. For example, a bank may be a place to put your money, or it may be the edge of a river. You can use context to choose the right meaning.
| EXAMPLE | Eddie keeps his money in a bank. |
Does Eddie dig a hole by the side of a river? No, it is most likely that he keeps his money at a business that protects it.
Think About Multiple Meanings Work with a partner. Read these sentences from the selection. Use context to figure out the correct meaning of each underlined word. Then, for each underlined word, write a sentence using a different meaning of the word.
1. Humans often empty waste into rivers, lakes, and oceans.
2. Imagine that you plant tulips in your neighborhood.
3. Think about all of the plants and animals in neighborhood parks.
4. Scientists track the populations of the endangered species on the list.
5. The Endangered Species Act makes it illegal to harm any of the species.
Poets choose words carefully to create images in a reader’s mind. These “word images” are called imagery. Do you “see” any special image when you read this? Animals walked on the land again. Compare that line to these lines from “In My Dreams.”
Analyze Imagery With a partner, discuss images you “see” when you read “In My Dreams.” Which examples of imagery are the most powerful? What message is the speaker trying to give?