This use of inference is an important part of getting meaning from context. As students mature, they will be able to infer more and more from the surrounding text when they encounter unfamiliar words. Just look in a dictionary to see the number of entries for words such as go or run, for example. It is only through context that we can tell which definition applies in each case. The lawn mower will run better if you oil it.
Buses run every hour from here to Boston.
The play had a run of almost a year. There was a big run on purple socks at the store. This ski run is very popular. Context can't always give a complete definition, but it provides a good starting point. When words have more than one meaning, we must look at context before we go to a dictionary.