Choose the right look-alike word and spell the hard ones
Grade 9 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.
The architect’s ______ sense is famous, yet her own ______ home holds one chair and a lamp. Ari edits an architecture magazine. Which pair fills the two gaps correctly?
- (1) aesthetic, (2) aesthetic
- (1) aesthetic, (2) ascetic
- (1) ascetic, (2) aesthetic
- (1) ascetic, (2) ascetic
Read this first
Sentence
The board needs a ______ mediator, one with no stake in the outcome, not an ______ one who ignores the talks.
Bo edits a board newsletter. Which pair fills the two gaps correctly?
- (1) disinterested, (2) uninterested
- (1) uninterested, (2) uninterested
- (1) disinterested, (2) disinterested
- (1) uninterested, (2) disinterested
The ______ neighborhood by the river complained about the ______ that the factory released into the water. Esme edits a county report. Which pair fills the two gaps correctly?
- (1) effluent, (2) effluent
- (1) affluent, (2) effluent
- (1) effluent, (2) affluent
- (1) affluent, (2) affluent
The flood threatened to ______ havoc on the valley, and the mud would ______ for weeks. Jun edits a weather report. Which pair fills the two gaps correctly?
- (1) wreak, (2) reek
- (1) reek, (2) reek
- (1) reek, (2) wreak
- (1) wreak, (2) wreak
“Controlled” Kira explains a spelling to a classmate. Which explanation is true?
- Words that end in -ed double their last consonant before the ending.
- The last syllable of “control” is stressed, so its l doubles before the ending -ed.
- The first syllable of “control” is stressed, so its l doubles before the ending -ed.
- The l sounds long in the word, so the spelling shows it with two letters.
“Manageable” Milo explains a spelling to a classmate. Which explanation is true?
- The e drops before -able, as in other words, so the g stays soft without it anyway.
- The e is heard clearly in the word, so the spelling keeps it before the ending -able.
- The e stays after the g so the g keeps its soft sound (j), not the hard sound, before -able.
- Silent e is kept before any ending that begins with a vowel.
“Truly” Noah explains a spelling to a classmate. Which explanation is true?
- The e is not heard in the word, so the spelling simply leaves it out before -ly.
- Silent e is dropped before any ending that begins with a consonant, in words of this kind.
- The silent e of “true” is kept before -ly, as it is in “nicely” and “surely”.
- The silent e of “true” is dropped before -ly, an exception to the usual rule of keeping it.
The mayor will prescribe fireworks near the harbor. She announced the ban in a recomendation to the council. Ren revises two sentences from a town bulletin. Which revision fixes both slips without adding a new one?
- The mayor will proscribe fireworks near the harbor. She announced the ban in a recomendation to the council.
- The mayor will proscribe fireworks near the harbor. She announced the ban in a recommendation to the council.
- The mayor will proscribe fireworks near the harbor. She anounced the ban in a recommendation to the council.
- The mayor will prescribe fireworks near the harbor. She announced the ban in a recommendation to the council.
The road through the pass was torturous, with a hairpin turn every mile. Drivers praised the safty barriers. Tala revises two sentences from a travel guide. Which revision fixes both slips without adding a new one?
- The road through the pass was tortuous, with a hairpin turn every mile. Drivers praised the safty barriers.
- The road through the pass was torturous, with a hairpin turn every mile. Drivers praised the safety barriers.
- The road through the pass was tortuous, with a hairpin turn every mile. Drivers praised the safety bariers.
- The road through the pass was tortuous, with a hairpin turn every mile. Drivers praised the safety barriers.
A perspective student asked about the debate team. The coach said the club had exceled at three tournaments. Zee revises two sentences from a school newsletter. Which revision fixes both slips without adding a new one?
- A perspective student asked about the debate team. The coach said the club had excelled at three tournaments.
- A prospective student asked about the debate team. The coach said the club had exceled at three tournaments.
- A prospective student asked about the debate team. The coach said the club had excelled at three tournaments.
- A prospective student asked about the debate team. The coach said the club had excelled at three tournamants.

