What Do These Words Mean?

A mouse can be a small animal in a kitchen. It can also be something you use with a computer. The same word can mean different things.

Words can change over time. Long ago,"meat" meant food, not just food from animals. Today, rice is food, but we do not call it meat. People slowly changed how they used the word.

Words can also get new meanings. The computer mouse got its name because it looked like the animal. Some computer mice look different now, but we still use the name.

How do we know what a word means? We look at the other words and think about where we are. Are we talking about a kitchen or a computer?

When you learn a word, look at the words around it. Learn how people use it today. An old meaning can help you understand its past, but it may not tell you what the word means now.