Choose the right look-alike word and spell the hard ones

Grade 9 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Sentence

   The ______ plan to reuse cafeteria trays as signs saved the club hundreds of dollars.
   Meanings: ingenious, clever and inventive; ingenuous, innocent and open; indigenous, native to a place; disingenuous, pretending to know less than one does.

2. 1.

   Ari fills the gap in a school-paper sentence. Using the meanings, which word fits?

   • ingenuous
   • ingenious
   • disingenuous
   • indigenous

3. Sentence

   Ms. Ortega likes to ______ her own talent, calling her prize-winning garden “just a few plants.”
   Meanings: deprecate, to play down or belittle; depreciate, to lose value over time; deplore, to feel strong disapproval of; appreciate, to value or be grateful for.

4. 2.

   Esme fills the gap in a school-paper sentence. Using the meanings, which word fits?

   • deprecate
   • deplore
   • depreciate
   • appreciate

5. Sentence

   The editor trusted the reporter’s ______, since each claim in the story had been checked twice.
   Meanings: veracity, truthfulness; voracity, a huge appetite; velocity, speed; verbosity, use of too many words.

6. 3.

   Jun fills the gap in a school-paper sentence. Using the meanings, which word fits?

   • verbosity
   • voracity
   • velocity
   • veracity
7. 4.

   The class stood in ______ silence while the flag was lowered. Kira is unsure how to spell the word in the gap. Which choice gives the right spelling and the related word that proves it?

   • solem, because the n is silent at the end of the word, so a spelling can safely leave it out
   • solemnn, because “solemnity” shows that the n doubles when the word grows
   • solemn, because the word begins like “solo” and “solid”, which also begin with sol
   • solemn, because the related word “solemnity” sounds the n, so the spelling keeps it
8. 5.

   The council voted to ______ the dumping in the creek. Luz is unsure how to spell the word in the gap. Which choice gives the right spelling and the related word that proves it?

   • condemn, because the related word “condemnation” sounds the n, so the spelling keeps it
   • condemn, because the word begins like “condor” and “condition”, which also begin with con
   • condemm, because “condemnation” shows that the m doubles when the ending is added
   • condem, because the n is silent at the end of the word, so a spelling can safely leave it out
9. 6.

   The principal will ______ at the end of the school year. Milo is unsure how to spell the word in the gap. Which choice gives the right spelling and the related word that proves it?

   • resign, because the word begins like “reset” and “resume”, which also begin with res
   • resign, because the related word “resignation” sounds the g, so the spelling keeps it
   • resignn, because “resignation” shows that the n doubles when the ending is added
   • resine, because the g is silent in the word, so a spelling can safely leave it out
10. 7.

    Hours of practice built the ______ in the pitcher’s arm. Noah is unsure how to spell the word in the gap. Which choice gives the right spelling and the related word that proves it?

    • muscel, because “muscular” shows an e before the l
    • muscle, because the ending sounds like the ending of “tackle” and “puzzle”, which also end in -le
    • muscle, because the related word “muscular” sounds the c, so the spelling keeps it
    • mussel, because the end of the word sounds the same as “mussel”

11. Rule

    Keep every letter of the prefix and every letter of the root.

12. 8.

    Pia proofreads two words made by adding a prefix. Which sentence spells both correctly?

    • Quitting without notice did the team a disservice that felt immeasureable.
    • Quitting without notice did the team a diservice that felt imeasurable.
    • Quitting without notice did the team a diservice that felt immeasurable.
    • Quitting without notice did the team a disservice that felt immeasurable.
13. 9.

    Tala proofreads two words made by adding a prefix. Which sentence spells both correctly?

    • Although the seal was illegitimate, the committee’s anger was not illogical.
    • Although the seal was ilegitimate, the committee’s anger was not illogical.
    • Although the seal was ilegitimate, the committee’s anger was not ilogical.
    • Although the seal was illegitimate, the committee’s anger was not illogicle.
14. 10.

    Zee proofreads two words made by adding a prefix. Which sentence spells both correctly?

    • The unnerved crowd stood immobile as the results were read.
    • The unnerved crowd stood imobile as the results were read.
    • The unerved crowd stood immobile as the results were read.
    • The unerved crowd stood imobile as the results were read.