Here is the sentence:
Marsha sat at the dining room table, wondering [and worrying] what dish
her husband might serve. Brent's refusal to use measuring devices
ment that her tongue either
leapt in surprise at the excessive seasoning
or lay in her mouth, bored with the bland
taste.
The first verb, ment, is the problem. As you know, the sentence requires the simple past. Meant is the correctly spelled form.
| Verb | Simple Present | Simple Past | Past Participle |
| mean | mean(s) | meant | meant |