CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.5b

ELAGrades 9–10Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

The Standard

Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students compare near-synonyms and explain how their shades of meaning differ. They choose the word that best fits a sentence's tone, context, and purpose.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can distinguish words such as stubborn, persistent, and determined. They use context evidence to justify why one choice is more accurate or effective than another.
Common Misconceptions: Students may treat synonyms as interchangeable because their dictionary definitions overlap. They may focus only on connotation and miss differences in intensity, formality, or implied attitude.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: In “Maya continued revising after three rejected drafts,” choose persistent, stubborn, or relentless, then explain what each option suggests.

Lesson moves

Have students sort word cards such as slim, skinny, and slender along scales for approval, intensity, and formality.
Ask students which verb, glanced, stared, or peered, best fits a suspicious character, then have them defend the choice in writing.
Play Synonym Swap: teams replace a highlighted word in a sentence, then earn a point for explaining the change in tone.
Compare three headlines about the same event and discuss how near-synonyms shape readers’ views of the people involved.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.5b, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

Learning progression

If students are struggling here, check these first.

Mastery here sets students up for these next.

Keep exploring

Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.