Word and Definition Worksheet

Knowing a word’s definition is the difference between reading the words on a page and truly understanding them. This Word and Definition Worksheet gives third graders focused practice pairing grade-level vocabulary words with the meanings that belong to them, and then proving that they understand each word in a real sentence. Vocabulary is the engine behind reading comprehension: a child who can explain what a word means is a child who can use it confidently in conversation, in writing, and on a test.

This 3rd grade vocabulary worksheet works in three short steps. First, students read six kid-friendly definitions and write the matching word from the word box on the line beside each one. Next, they meet four sentences with a word missing and use the surrounding context to choose the word that fits, with two extra words in the box that fit nothing, so no one can simply work down the list. Finally, they pick a word of their own, write their own definition for it, and use it in an original sentence. Print it as morning work, as a vocabulary center, as homework, or as a quick check before a reading unit.

What’s Included

• 1 print-ready PDF worksheet
• Answer key
• 6 definition-matching items, 4 context sentences, and 1 write-your-own definition and sentence response

There are three reasons this Word and Definition Worksheet helps children learn word meanings and hold onto them. First, it asks for the same six words in three different ways — recognition, context, and production — and that kind of repeated, varied retrieval is what moves a word into long-term memory. Second, the context sentences make students think rather than guess: two of the six words in the box answer none of the sentences, so the only way through is to read carefully. Third, writing an original definition and an original sentence turns a word a student has merely seen into a word a student actually owns.

Teachers and parents can stretch this practice well past the page. Keep a running class word wall and add each new word with a student-written definition beside it. Play a quick round of “guess my word” where one child reads a definition aloud and the rest hold up the matching card. Challenge students to hunt for these six words in their independent reading books and copy out the sentence they found. At home, use one word a day at dinner and see who can work it into the conversation naturally. Pair the sheet with the song below to give the same skill a rhythm children remember.

Related Resources

• New Vocabulary Words Worksheet
• Informational Text Vocabulary Worksheet
• Vocabulary to Include in Your Story Worksheet
• Context Clues Song by Have Fun Teaching