What does the word playful mean?
Understand Words and Language Structures · TELPAS Grade 3 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Reporting category 1: work out what words and phrases mean from context, and understand how sentences and word forms work.
Read the passage. Then answer the question.
Pepper
Ricardo’s dog, Pepper, is very playful. She brings Ricardo her rope toy every afternoon and drops it at his feet. If he does not pick it up, she pushes it closer with her nose. Pepper only stops when Ricardo throws the rope across the yard for her to chase.
The question
Choose the best answer.
What does the word playful mean?
- Likes to playCorrect answer
- Does not play
- Plays again
- Played before
Why “Likes to play” is correct
This tests word parts. The ending -ful means “full of,” so playful means full of play, or liking to play. The rest of the text, Pepper bringing her toy every afternoon, supports that meaning.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Does not play — This would need an ending like -less, as in “playless,” or the word “not.”
- Plays again — “Plays again” would be the meaning of a word with the prefix re-.
- Played before — “Played before” describes past time, which the ending -ful does not show.
Practice more of this
More reading practice for Grade 3, or see the TELPAS practice test for 3rd grade.
This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Texas Education Agency or the official TELPAS program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published test design.