6th Grade Vocabulary Worksheet titled "Double Duty" featuring fill-in-the-blank exercises with multiple-meaning words and autumn leaf graphics.

Let’s go through each sentence one by one. The goal is to find a word that fits both blanks — and it has to be a word with more than one meaning (a multiple-meaning word). We’ll think about common words that can mean different things depending on context.

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1. A colorful leaf was painted on the head of the leaf drum.
→ “Leaf” can be a plant part, or the thin surface of a drumhead.

2. The traveler decided to light his dessert in the light.
→ “Light” = ignite (verb), or brightness (noun). But this feels off… maybe not. Let’s try:
Actually, better fit: serve? No. Wait — perhaps dish?
“The traveler decided to dish his dessert in the dish.” → Yes! “Dish” = serve food, or a plate/bowl.

3. While making change, Sara ran out of sugar, putting her in a real change.
→ Doesn’t work. Try: jam?
“While making jam, Sara ran out of sugar, putting her in a real jam.” → Perfect! Jam = fruit spread, or a difficult situation.

4. I was sitting too close to the door to be able to close it.
→ “Close” = near (adjective), or shut (verb). Works!

5. Crazy as it sounds, the overworked farmer decided to teach his son to help him son his seeds.
→ No. Try: sow?
“...teach his son to help him sow his seeds.” → Not same word.
Wait — what if: hand?
“...teach his hand to help him hand his seeds.” → Doesn’t make sense.
Better: plant?
“...teach his plant...” no.
Ah — seed?
“...teach his seed...” no.
Wait — maybe boy? No.
Actually, let’s think: “teach his help” — no.
Perhaps: labor? Too formal.
Another idea: work?
“...teach his work to help him work his seeds.” → Not quite.
Wait — maybe tend?
No. Let’s skip and come back.

Actually — here’s a good one: crop?
“...teach his crop...” no.
Wait — perhaps field?
No.
Let me rethink: Maybe son isn’t right. What if the word is hand?
“...teach his hand to help him hand his seeds.” → Still weird.
Alternative: give?
“...teach his give...” no.
Wait — maybe sow is the verb, but we need same word for both.
What if: plant?
“...teach his plant to help him plant his seeds.” → That could work if “plant” means a young person? Not really.
Hmm. Let’s look at #6 first.

6. The dentist gave her patient a shot of injections which made his jaw even shot.
→ “Shot” = injection, or damaged/ruined (“my knee is shot”). But “jaw even shot” doesn’t sound right.
Maybe numb?
“...gave her patient a numb of injections...” no.
Wait — dose?
“...a dose of injections... made his jaw even dose.” → No.
Better: fill?
“...a fill of injections...” no.
Actually — shot might still work if we interpret “made his jaw even shot” as “completely numb or useless”. It’s a stretch.
Alternatively — dead?
“...a dead of injections...” no.
Wait — perhaps block?
“...a block of injections... made his jaw even block.” → No.
Let’s try freeze?
“...a freeze of injections... made his jaw even freeze.” → Not grammatical.
Maybe numb again — but “a numb” doesn’t work.
Another idea: pain?
“...a pain of injections... made his jaw even pain.” → No.
Perhaps hurt? Same issue.
Wait — what if the word is shot and we accept “jaw even shot” as slang for “completely numb or non-functional”? Some people say “my leg is shot” meaning it’s broken or useless. So maybe acceptable.

But let’s hold and do others.

7. We all hoped that the off-key singer would stop from singing the stop.
→ No. Try: break?
“...would break from singing the break.” → Like take a break? Possible.
Or rest?
“...would rest from singing the rest.” → “The rest” could mean the remaining song? Weak.
Better: quit?
“...would quit from singing the quit.” → No.
Wait — end?
“...would end from singing the end.” → “Sing the end” = finish the song? Maybe.
But best: stop — “stop singing the stop” doesn’t work.
Alternative: pause?
“...would pause from singing the pause.” → “The pause” could be a musical rest? Possible.
But let’s think of common double-duty words.
How about note?
“...would note from singing the note.” → “Note” = observe, or musical tone. But “note from singing” doesn’t fit.
Wait — hold?
“...would hold from singing the hold.” → No.
Actually — break is promising: “take a break from singing the break” — if “the break” means a specific part of the song called “the break”, like in music. Acceptable.

8. When Grandma found a hole in her favorite quilt, she shed a hole.
→ No. Try: tear?
“...found a tear in her favorite quilt, she shed a tear.” → YES! Tear = rip in fabric, or drop of water from eye. Perfect.

9. The psychologist had to test his test on several tests.
→ Redundant. Try: subject?
“...had to subject his subject to several tests.” → Subject = person being studied, or topic. But “subject his subject” is awkward.
Better: case?
“...had to case his case...” → Case = investigate, or instance. “Case his case” = examine his example? Possible.
Or run?
“...had to run his run...” no.
Wait — try?
“...had to try his try...” no.
Actually — test might work if rephrased: “had to test his test” — meaning evaluate his own exam? But then “on several tests” is redundant.
Alternative: administer? Too long.
Perhaps give?
“...had to give his give...” no.
Wait — what if: measure?
“...had to measure his measure...” → Measure = assess, or unit. “Measure his measure” = evaluate his standard? Stretch.
Let’s consider scale?
“...had to scale his scale...” → Scale = climb, or size. Not fitting.
Actually — maybe probe?
“...had to probe his probe...” → Probe = investigate, or tool. “Probe his probe” = examine his instrument? Possible but odd.
I think test is intended: “The psychologist had to test his test on several tests.” — meaning he created a test and tried it out on multiple test groups. Awkward but possible.

10. I was unable to lift the large lift on the heavy trunk.
→ Lift = raise, or elevator. But “large lift on the trunk” — if trunk is car trunk, maybe a lifting mechanism? Or if trunk is elephant, doesn’t fit.
Better: handle?
“...unable to handle the large handle on the heavy trunk.” → Handle = manage, or grip. Perfect!

11. The landfill was so full that its owner had to dump more dump.
→ Dump = dispose of waste, or a place for waste. “Dump more dump” = add more trash to the dump site. Works!

12. We love to dig in our garden!
→ Only one blank? Wait, looking back:
Original: “We love to ________ in our garden!” — only one blank? But instruction says “fill in both blanks”. Let me check the image description.
In the user’s text: “12. We love to _______________ in our garden!” — only one blank shown. But the rule is “both blanks”. Probably a typo in transcription. Looking at original worksheet logic, likely two blanks.
Assuming it’s: “We love to dig in our dig!” — doesn’t work.
Perhaps: plant?
“We love to plant in our plant!” — plant = verb, or noun (a living thing). “In our plant” doesn’t make sense unless “plant” means garden bed? Unlikely.
Wait — maybe grow?
“We love to grow in our grow!” — no.
Another idea: work?
“We love to work in our work!” — work = labor, or job. “Our work” could mean our garden project? Possible.
But best fit: dig — if second blank is “dirt”? But must be same word.
Perhaps the sentence is: “We love to dig in the dig.” — “the dig” could mean an archaeological site? But “in our garden” suggests home garden.
Maybe it’s a mistake, and it should be two blanks like others. Let’s assume: “We love to dig in our dig.” and accept “dig” as noun meaning excavation area? Stretch.
Alternative: till?
“We love to till in our till!” — till = prepare soil, or cash register. Doesn’t fit.
I think intended answer is dig, assuming “our dig” means our digging spot. Or perhaps it’s garden itself?
“We love to garden in our garden!” → Garden = verb (to cultivate plants), or noun (the place). PERFECT! And it matches “in our garden”. So yes — garden.

13. The nurse wrapped a bandage around the wrap.
→ Wrap = verb (to cover), or noun (something wrapped, or a type of clothing). “Around the wrap” — if “wrap” means the injured part? Not clear.
Better: bind?
“... bind a bandage around the bind.” — bind = tie, or constraint. “The bind” could mean the tied area? Weak.
Wait — dress?
“... dress a bandage around the dress.” — dress = apply medical covering, or clothing. “Around the dress” doesn’t fit.
Actually — bandage itself?
“... bandage a bandage around the bandage.” — redundant.
Another idea: cover?
“... cover a bandage around the cover.” — no.
Perhaps roll?
“... roll a bandage around the roll.” — roll = verb (to wind), or noun (a cylindrical object). “The roll” could be the rolled-up bandage? But you roll the bandage around the injury, not around “the roll”.
Wait — maybe arm?
“... arm a bandage around the arm.” — arm = verb (to equip), or noun (body part). “Arm a bandage” doesn’t make sense.
Best fit: wrap — “wrap a bandage around the wrap” — if “the wrap” refers to the area being wrapped, like “the wrap site”? Not standard.
Perhaps tie?
“... tie a bandage around the tie.” — tie = fasten, or knot. “Around the tie” — if “tie” means the knotted part? Possible.
But I think intended is wrap, accepting slight awkwardness.

14. The president of the board asked to sit in a specific seat to seat the meeting.
→ Seat = chair, or to accommodate people. “Seat the meeting” = arrange seating for the meeting? A bit forced.
Better: chair?
“...sit in a specific chair to chair the meeting.” → Chair = noun (furniture), or verb (to lead a meeting). PERFECT!

15. The deer deer into the bushes when it heard a gunshot in the distance.
→ Deer = animal, or past tense of “dare”? No, “dared” is past tense.
Wait — dash?
“The dash dash into the bushes...” — dash = run quickly, or a punctuation mark. “The dash” doesn’t refer to an animal.
But the sentence says “it heard”, so subject is singular animal.
So must be an animal name that is also a verb.
Rabbit? Rabbit = animal, or to talk rapidly? Not really a verb.
Fox? Fox = animal, or to deceive? “Fox into the bushes” — not standard.
Hare? Hare = animal, or to run fast? Archaic.
Actually — bolt?
“The bolt bolt into the bushes...” — bolt = sudden movement, or a fastener. “The bolt” isn’t an animal.
Wait — perhaps spring?
“The spring spring into the bushes...” — spring = season, or jump. “The spring” could be a coil? Not animal.
I think the intended word is deer, and “deer” is used as verb? But “deer” isn’t a verb.
Unless it’s a typo, and it’s flee? But not same word.
Another possibility: dart?
“The dart dart into the bushes...” — dart = move suddenly, or a small projectile. “The dart” isn’t an animal.
Perhaps the first blank is the animal, second is the action, and they happen to be same word.
What animal is also a verb?
Bat? Bat = animal, or to hit. “The bat bat into the bushes” — doesn’t make sense.
Mole? Mole = animal, or spy. “Mole into the bushes” — not standard.
Crane? Crane = bird, or to stretch neck. “The crane crane into the bushes” — possible if stretching to see? But “into the bushes” suggests hiding.
Actually — duck!
“The duck duck into the bushes...” → Duck = bird, or to lower head/body quickly to avoid something. PERFECT! And “it heard a gunshot” — so the duck ducks to hide. Yes!

16. The principal did not subscribe to the teacher’s subscribe lesson.
→ Subscribe = agree with, or sign up for. “Subscribe lesson” doesn’t make sense.
Better: buy?
“...did not buy to the teacher’s buy lesson.” — buy = believe, or purchase. “Buy lesson” not standard.
Wait — go?
“...did not go to the teacher’s go lesson.” — no.
Perhaps accept?
“...did not accept to the teacher’s accept lesson.” — no.
Another idea: follow?
“...did not follow to the teacher’s follow lesson.” — follow = obey, or next in sequence. “Follow lesson” could mean subsequent lesson? But “did not follow to” is ungrammatical.
Actually — attend?
“...did not attend to the teacher’s attend lesson.” — attend = be present, or pay attention. “Attend to” is phrasal verb meaning deal with. “Attend lesson” = go to class. But “attend to the teacher’s attend lesson” is messy.
Best fit: subscribe is wrong.
What about support?
“...did not support to the teacher’s support lesson.” — no.
Wait — perhaps key?
“...did not key to the teacher’s key lesson.” — key = important, or unlock. “Key lesson” = main lesson. “Did not key to” doesn’t work.
I think intended is buy: “did not buy the teacher’s buy lesson” — but “buy lesson” isn’t standard.
Alternative: sell?
“...did not sell to the teacher’s sell lesson.” — sell = promote, or exchange for money. “Sell lesson” could mean pitch the lesson? Possible.
But let’s think: common double-duty words.
How about point?
“...did not point to the teacher’s point lesson.” — point = indicate, or main idea. “Point lesson” = lesson focusing on a point? Weak.
Actually — note?
“...did not note to the teacher’s note lesson.” — note = observe, or written message. “Note lesson” not standard.
Perhaps the word is lesson itself?
“...did not lesson to the teacher’s lesson lesson.” — lesson isn’t a verb.
I recall a common one: mind?
“...did not mind to the teacher’s mind lesson.” — mind = care, or intellect. “Mind lesson” not standard.
Wait — care?
“...did not care to the teacher’s care lesson.” — care = feel concern, or maintenance. “Care lesson” could mean lesson about caring? Possible.
But I think the best fit is buy, interpreting “buy the teacher’s buy” as “believe the teacher’s sales pitch for the lesson”. Stretch, but possible.

17. Since there is no time like the present, I think it is time to present you with my present.
→ Present = now, or gift. “Present you with my present” = give you my gift. PERFECT!

18. The author took a novel approach to writing the novel.
→ Novel = new/unusual, or a book. “Novel approach” = innovative method. “Writing the novel” = composing the book. PERFECT!

Now let’s go back to the ones we were unsure about.

For #5: “Crazy as it sounds, the overworked farmer decided to teach his ________ to help him ________ his seeds.”
We need same word.
What if: hand?
“teach his hand to help him hand his seeds” — hand = body part, or to pass. “Hand his seeds” = distribute them? Possible.
But better: son doesn’t work.
Another idea: boy? No.
Wait — plant?
“teach his plant to help him plant his seeds” — if “plant” means a young worker? Not standard.
Perhaps crop?
“teach his crop to help him crop his seeds” — crop = harvest, or plants grown. “Crop his seeds” doesn’t make sense.
I found a better one: sow is verb, but we need noun too.
What about seed?
“teach his seed to help him seed his seeds” — seed = offspring, or plant seeds. “His seed” could mean his child (biblical/archaic), and “seed his seeds” = plant them. Possible but old-fashioned.
Actually — in modern usage, kid?
“teach his kid to help him kid his seeds” — kid = child, or joke. “Kid his seeds” doesn’t work.
Wait — perhaps labor?
“teach his labor to help him labor his seeds” — labor = workers, or work. “Labor his seeds” = work on them? Possible.
But I think the intended answer is son, and the second blank is sow, but that’s not same word.
Unless it’s a trick.
Another possibility: field?
“teach his field to help him field his seeds” — field = area of land, or to catch/handle. “Field his seeds” = manage them? In sports, “field” means handle the ball. For seeds? Not really.
I recall a common double-duty word: turn?
“teach his turn to help him turn his seeds” — turn = rotation, or to change direction. “Turn his seeds” = rotate them? Not meaningful.
Perhaps grow?
“teach his grow to help him grow his seeds” — grow isn’t a noun.
Wait — what if the word is help itself?
“teach his help to help him help his seeds” — help = assistance, or to aid. “His help” could mean his assistant. “Help his seeds” = assist in growing them. Possible! And it’s the same word.
Yes! help works:
“teach his help [assistant] to help him help his seeds [aid in their growth].”

For #6: “The dentist gave her patient a ________ of injections which made his jaw even ________.”
We thought shot, but “jaw even shot” is slang.
Another option: numb — but “a numb” doesn’t work.
What about dose?
“a dose of injections” — dose = amount. “Made his jaw even dose” — no.
Fill?
“a fill of injections” — fill = amount poured. “Made his jaw even fill” — no.
Block?
“a block of injections” — block = group. “Made his jaw even block” — no.
Perhaps dead?
“a dead of injections” — no.
I think shot is intended, with “shot” meaning incapacitated.

For #7: “We all hoped that the off-key singer would ________ from singing the ________.”
We had break: “break from singing the break” — if “the break” is a musical interlude.
But better: rest?
“rest from singing the rest” — rest = pause, or remaining part. “The rest” could mean the remainder of the song. Possible.
Or stop?
“stop from singing the stop” — doesn’t work.
Another idea: end?
“end from singing the end” — end = finish, or conclusion. “Sing the end” = sing the final part. “End from singing” is ungrammatical; should be “stop singing”.
Perhaps quit?
“quit from singing the quit” — no.
I think break is best.

For #9: “The psychologist had to ________ his ________ on several tests.”
We had test: “test his test on several tests” — meaning evaluate his own test instrument on multiple test groups. Acceptable.

For #13: “The nurse ________ a bandage around the ________.”
We had wrap: “wrap a bandage around the wrap” — if “the wrap” means the wrapped area.
But better: bind?
“bind a bandage around the bind” — bind = tie, or the tied part.
Actually — dress is medical term for applying bandage.
“dress a bandage around the dress” — doesn’t work.
Wait — cover?
“cover a bandage around the cover” — no.
Perhaps roll is best: “roll a bandage around the roll” — if “the roll” is the rolled bandage before application? But you roll it around the injury, not around itself.
I think wrap is fine.

For #16: “The principal did not ________ to the teacher’s ________ lesson.”
We struggled.
What if: subscribe is wrong.
Another common one: buy — “did not buy the teacher’s buy” — but “buy lesson” isn’t standard.
Perhaps go?
“did not go to the teacher’s go lesson” — no.
Wait — key?
“did not key to the teacher’s key lesson” — key = crucial. “Key lesson” = main lesson. “Did not key to” doesn’t work.
Actually — mind?
“did not mind to the teacher’s mind lesson” — mind = care. “Mind lesson” not standard.
I recall: take?
“did not take to the teacher’s take lesson” — take = accept, or perspective. “Take lesson” could mean lesson from a particular viewpoint. “Did not take to” means didn’t like or accept. So: “did not take to the teacher’s take [perspective] lesson.” Possible.
But let’s search for standard double-duty words.
How about note?
“did not note to the teacher’s note lesson” — note = observe, or written comment. “Note lesson” not standard.
Perhaps the word is lesson — but not a verb.
Another idea: point?
“did not point to the teacher’s point lesson” — point = indicate, or main idea. “Point lesson” = lesson emphasizing a point. “Did not point to” means didn’t direct attention to. So: “did not point to the teacher’s point lesson” — meaning didn’t highlight the main-point lesson. Possible.
But I think the intended answer is buy, as in “didn’t buy into the teacher’s sales pitch for the lesson”.

After careful thought, here are the most logical answers:

1. leaf
2. dish
3. jam
4. close
5. help
6. shot
7. break
8. tear
9. test
10. handle
11. dump
12. garden
13. wrap
14. chair
15. duck
16. buy
17. present
18. novel

Let me verify #5 again: “teach his help to help him help his seeds” — yes, “help” as noun (assistant) and verb (assist). Good.

#6: “shot of injections” — common phrase; “jaw even shot” — slang for completely numb or unusable. Acceptable for grade 6.

#7: “break from singing the break” — in music, a “break” is a solo or instrumental section, so “singing the break” could mean performing that part, and “break from” means stop temporarily. Okay.

#13: “wrap a bandage around the wrap” — a bit weak, but “wrap” as noun can mean the thing being wrapped, like “the wrap site”. Alternatively, some might say “around the wound”, but must be same word. I think it’s acceptable.

#16: “did not buy to the teacher’s buy lesson” — actually, “buy” as verb doesn’t take “to”; it’s “buy the lesson”. The sentence says “did not ________ to”, so needs a verb that takes “to”.
Ah! Important: the structure is “did not [verb] to the teacher’s [noun] lesson”.
So the verb must be followed by “to”.
Like “subscribe to”, “object to”, “agree to”, etc.
So for #16: “The principal did not ________ to the teacher’s ________ lesson.”
So first blank is a verb that takes “to”, second is a noun that modifies “lesson”.
And same word.
So what word can be both a verb (taking “to”) and a noun?
Object?
“did not object to the teacher’s object lesson” — object = protest, or thing. “Object lesson” = a practical example demonstrating a principle. PERFECT!
Yes! “Object lesson” is a common phrase meaning a real-life example that teaches a lesson.
And “object to” means to oppose.
So: “The principal did not object to the teacher’s object lesson.” → Meaning the principal didn’t oppose the teacher’s practical-example lesson.
Much better than “buy”!

Similarly, for #7: “would ________ from singing the ________” — “from” suggests the verb might not need “to”, but “break from” is okay.

But for #16, object is perfect.

Also, for #9: “had to ________ his ________ on several tests” — if we use subject, “subject his subject to several tests” — subject = person under study, or topic. “Subject his subject” = examine his case study. And “subject to” is a phrase. But the sentence doesn’t have “to”; it’s “on several tests”.
With object, it worked because of “to”.

For #9, perhaps run?
“had to run his run on several tests” — run = conduct, or attempt. “Run his run” = do his trial. Possible.
But test is still okay.

Now correcting #16 to object.

Also, for #13, let’s see if there’s a better fit.
“The nurse ________ a bandage around the ________.”
If we use dress, but “dress to” isn’t the structure.
Another word: bind?
“bind a bandage around the bind” — bind = tie, or the bound part.
But wrap is fine.

Final list:

1. leaf
2. dish
3. jam
4. close
5. help
6. shot
7. break
8. tear
9. test
10. handle
11. dump
12. garden
13. wrap
14. chair
15. duck
16. object
17. present
18. novel

All seem reasonable for 6th grade level.

Final Answer:
1. leaf
2. dish
3. jam
4. close
5. help
6. shot
7. break
8. tear
9. test
10. handle
11. dump
12. garden
13. wrap
14. chair
15. duck
16. object
17. present
18. novel