Five Tips for Targeting Multiple Meaning Words

Start first by explaining what a multiple meaning word is! 

1. What are Multiple Meaning Words?

Did you know there are multiple types of multiple meaning words? That was a mouthful wasn't it?

Here is a handy FREE resource that explains the different types, with examples! What is a Multiple Meaning Word?  Freebie! Providing examples with pictures and spelling on a whiteboard may help as well!



2. Build a Word-Web 

Now I cannot take credit for the next tip what-so-ever!

It comes from a book called Stretching a Student's Vocabulary by K. Bromley (2002) I think using their Word-Web strategy would work great for our students who are our visual learners!

Taken from: Bromley, K. (2002). Strategies taken from: Stretching students’ vocabulary: Best practices for building the rich vocabulary students need to achieve in reading, writing, and the content areas


This would be a fun interactive way to visually show students the different means for one word.

You can build the web however you choose. I personally like to write on my kidney bean table with a white board marker! It erases like a charm.


SEE ALSO: The Best Free App for Speech Therapy



3. Be a Detective!

  • Hand out magnifying glasses

  • Flashlights for extra fun in the dark

  • Use highlighters to find and highlight the words in the sentences (like a pretend flashlight).

"Multiple Meaning Detectives!" Explain that students must search for clues in sentences that they hear or read, to figure out what a word means.


Example
: The woman is wearing a ring on her finger.

The clues are "wearing" and "finger".

What are things we can wear on our fingers? Jewelry? So ring=jewelry worn on a finger!

4. Multiple Meaning Word Bingo! 

Once your students have a grasp on Multiple Meaning Words, play my Multiple Meaning Word Bingo.

Students must use their detective skills to figure out what word you are targeting!


SEE ALSO: The Best Books for Speech Therapy Practice

Speech therapy books for targeting multiple goals

5. Bean Bag Toss! 

Good 'ole bean bag toss!

Have students stand behind a line of tape or a piece of string on the floor and for each meaning they provide for a word, they get to throw a bean bag.

3 definitions = 3 bean bags etc.

For more bean bag ideas check out another guest post I did for the Dabbling Speechie.


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About the Author

Rachel Nortz is an M.A., CCC-SLP who has spent 6 years as an SLP in the public schools in California.

She started her blog QueenSpeechTherapy in December 2012 to share her ideas related to Speech-Language Pathology.

She quickly found that she enjoyed being part of the SLP Blog community.

She writes her blog because she enjoys doing it and wants to share her ideas with you! She says it also helps her stay motivated and up to date in her therapy.




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