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Same Theme, Different Handling is a free printable Grade 5 English worksheet on comparing what two short texts each do with a shared theme, aligned to Common Core standard RL.5.9. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 20 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Same Theme, Different Handling

RL.5.9

NameDate

Circle the right answer.

1.Story A: a hare loses a race because he naps. Story B: a boy who practices daily beats a more gifted rival. What theme do both share?
  • A.Steady effort beats wasted talent
  • B.Winning is all that matters
  • C.Animals are faster than people
2.Both stories are about courage. In Story A a knight fights a dragon. In Story B a shy boy reads his poem aloud. How does Story B handle the theme differently?
  • A.It shows courage in a battle
  • B.It says courage is not needed
  • C.It finds courage in an everyday moment
3.Story A: a greedy king turns everything to gold and cannot eat. Story B: a boy wishes for endless candy and falls ill. What theme do both share?
  • A.Getting everything you want can harm you
  • B.Kings should not eat candy
  • C.Gold is very heavy
4.Story A: a crow drops her cheese when a fox flatters her. Story B: a girl buys useless shoes because the seller praises her. What theme do both share?
  • A.Beware of people who flatter you
  • B.Foxes are always hungry
  • C.Shoes are expensive
5.Both stories are about moving house. Story A is funny and ends happily. Story B is quiet and ends sadly. What differs most between them?
  • A.Their tone
  • B.Their topic
  • C.Their genre
6.Both stories are about friendship. Story A is told by a girl whose friend moves away. Story B is told by the friend who moved. What does Story B add?
  • A.How it feels to be the one who leaves
  • B.What the first girl ate for tea
  • C.Why friendships never last
7.Story A: a lion spares a mouse, and later the mouse frees him from a net. Story B: a girl helps a new student, who later helps her. What theme do both share?
  • A.New students are always clever
  • B.Kindness can be repaid in unexpected ways
  • C.Lions are stronger than mice
8.Both stories are about honesty. In Story A an honest girl wins a prize. In Story B an honest boy loses a game but keeps a friend. How do they differ?
  • A.Story B shows a quieter reward for honesty
  • B.Story A punishes honesty
  • C.Story B says honesty is foolish

LessonPrint · RL.5.9 · Set 20 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Same Theme, Different Handling

Set 20. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Steady effort beats wasted talent
  2. 2.It finds courage in an everyday moment
  3. 3.Getting everything you want can harm you
  4. 4.Beware of people who flatter you
  5. 5.Their tone
  6. 6.How it feels to be the one who leaves
  7. 7.Kindness can be repaid in unexpected ways
  8. 8.Story B shows a quieter reward for honesty

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RL.5.9 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.