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Grade 7 Word Study Worksheets

Every word has a history. English has borrowed from all over the world, and knowing where words come from makes you a sharper reader.

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What your child will learn: Word Origins & Word Study

Etymology is the study of where words come from and how their meanings changed over time.
English is a magpie language. It has borrowed chocolate (from Nahuatl, via Spanish), algebra (Arabic), piano (Italian), shampoo (Hindi), tsunami (Japanese) and kindergarten (German).
Homophones sound the same but are spelled differently and mean different things: their / there / they're.
Homographs are spelled the same but differ in meaning, and sometimes in sound: a 'bow' in your hair, to 'bow' on stage, the 'bow' of a ship.
Break unfamiliar academic words into root, prefix and suffix: that, plus context, will usually get you the meaning without a dictionary.

Sample worksheet questions

1. What is a homophone?
Answer: A word that sounds the same but is spelled differently and means something else

2. Give an example of a homograph.
Answer: e.g. bow, lead, tear, wind

3. Besides word parts, what else helps you work out a new word?
Answer: The context; the sentence around it

4. Which language does 'shampoo' come from?
Answer: Hindi

5. Which language does 'kindergarten' come from?
Answer: German

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Try it at home

📜 Word Detective: Look up the origin of your favourite word in a dictionary. Which language did it come from, and has its meaning shifted?

More Grade 7 subjects

Math Reading Vocabulary Spelling Writing Science History

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