Question

Read the excerpt from "Benin Plaque: The Oba with Europeans.”

They and their Dutch and English competitors, who followed later in the sixteenth century, carried gold and ivory to Europe and in return brought commodities from all over the world that were greatly valued by the Oba’s court . . .

What word(s) offer context clues about the meaning of the word commodities?

“competitors”
“sixteenth century”
“gold and ivory”
“Oba’s court”

Answer 1

“gold and ivory”

Those are examples of the traded items, so “commodities” here means goods or products (valuable trade items).