Words with the same meaning but a different feel

Grade 9 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Passage

   When the factory closed, the town did not collapse; it drifted. Shops stayed open on habit, and on Friday nights the same men sat on the same benches, saying less each week.

2. 1.

   Luz asks why the writer chose drifted instead of collapsed. Which explanation fits the passage best?

   • Drifted suggests a slow, aimless loss of direction without one crash, which matches the habits and the benches.
   • Drifted is the exact term for people leaving, so it reports how many residents moved away from the town.
   • Drifted is a livelier word than collapsed, so it makes the sentence more interesting for readers to enjoy.
   • Drifted suggests the town floated along peacefully, which shows that the residents were quite content.

3. Passage

   By noon the shopping street had been taken over. Shoppers swarmed the stalls while the vendors scrambled to raise their prices and keep up.

4. 2.

   Ren asks why the writer chose swarmed instead of filled. Which explanation fits the passage best?

   • Swarmed suggests the shoppers were calm and orderly, which shows that the whole market was well run.
   • Swarmed suggests a dense, restless, nearly overwhelming crowd, which matches the vendors scrambling to keep up.
   • Swarmed is a more vivid word than filled, so the sentence sounds more exciting and holds the reader's attention.
   • Swarmed gives the exact number of shoppers, so a reader can count how many people came to the street.

5. Passage

   The speech lasted ten minutes. Afterward, nobody went home; the crowd lingered in the square, hands in pockets, as if waiting for someone to say more.

6. 3.

   Zee asks why the writer chose lingered instead of stayed. Which explanation fits the passage best?

   • Lingered tells the exact number of minutes the crowd stayed in the square.
   • Lingered is a more descriptive word than stayed, so it improves the sentence for the reader.
   • Lingered suggests the crowd was bored and hoping to be entertained.
   • Lingered suggests people reluctant to leave, which fits their waiting for more words.
7. 4.

   Mr. Fenwick's ledgers were meticulous: every page ruled, every column squared, every error corrected in the same blue ink. Milo asks why the writer chose meticulous instead of careful. Which explanation fits the passage best?

   • Meticulous tells how many errors Mr. Fenwick corrected in the ledgers over the years.
   • Meticulous suggests Mr. Fenwick was slow and nervous about mistakes, which shows a weakness.
   • Meticulous is a fancier word than careful, so it makes Mr. Fenwick sound more important.
   • Meticulous suggests extreme attention to small details, which the ruled pages and matching ink show.

8. Passage

   The tribute to the retired bus driver is warm and respectful. It lists his thirty-one years on Route 9 and the riders who still wave. It says he was known for his nagging about seat belts.

9. 5.

   Esme wants the last sentence to match the respectful tone and keep the fact. Which words should replace nagging?

   • constant harping
   • a single reminder
   • repeated reminders
   • a heroic crusade

10. Passage

    The weather service's bulletin is calm and factual. It gives wind speeds and the number of homes without power. It says a savage wind brought down lines across the county.

11. 6.

    Jun wants the weather report to stay calm and factual and keep the fact. Which word should replace savage?

    • strong
    • merciless
    • magnificent
    • gentle

12. Passage

    A friendly review praises the neighborhood cafe: its warm bread, its bright windows and its easy prices. It says the staff checks on every table so often that they are hovering.

13. 7.

    Pia wants the review to stay friendly and keep the fact. Which word should replace hovering?

    • attentive
    • worshipful
    • lurking
    • absent

14. Fact

    The council spent $40,000 on a new park fountain. Writer A supports the spending; Writer B opposes it. Sentence: The council ____ $40,000 on the fountain.

15. 8.

    Tala fills the blank for two writers. Which pair of verbs gives A's view and B's view, in order, without changing the fact?

    • A: invested; B: squandered
    • A: squandered; B: invested
    • A: invested; B: saved
    • A: invested; B: expended

16. Fact

    After a poll showed voters disliked the bridge toll, the mayor changed her position on it. Writer A is friendly to the mayor; Writer B is hostile. Sentence: The mayor ____ her position on the toll.

17. 9.

    Noah fills the blank for two writers. Which pair of verbs gives A's view and B's view, in order, without changing the fact?

    • A: refined; B: defended
    • A: refined; B: updated
    • A: refined; B: abandoned
    • A: abandoned; B: refined

18. Fact

    An author revised a novel for ten years before publishing it. Writer A admires the effort; Writer B finds it excessive. Sentence: The author ____ the novel for ten years.

19. 10.

    Ari fills the blank for two writers. Which pair of verbs gives A's view and B's view, in order, without changing the fact?

    • A: polished; B: perfected
    • A: polished; B: tinkered with
    • A: polished; B: abandoned
    • A: tinkered with; B: polished