baby

[a newly born creature]

Mary had a baby last night.

back

[(1) the part behind the front; (2) the other way from forward]

The writer's picture is on the back of the book. (1)

She stopped walking away and looked back at me. (2)

bad

[(1) wrong; (2) acting against the law; (3) not good]

Bill made a bad decision. (1)

The prisoner was a bad man for most of his life. (2)

The water was dirty and had a bad taste. (3)

balance

[to make two sides or forces equal]

I balanced my budget by not spending more than I earned.

ball

[something round]

The earth is shaped like a ball.

balloon

[a device of strong, light material that rises when filled with gas lighter than air]

Many hot air balloons race in New Mexico each year.

ballot

[a piece of paper used for voting]

I was asked to count the ballots and announce the winner.

ban

[(1) to not permit; (2) to stop; (3) an official restriction]

Running is banned at our swimming pool. (1)

The curfew bans all night time travel. (2)

The protestors called for a ban on smoking in public buildings. (3)

bank

[an organization that keeps and lends money]

The man said he robbed banks because that is where the money is.

bar

[to prevent or block]

He was barred from competing in the games because he used illegal drugs.

barrier

[anything that blocks or makes an action difficult]

The voting rights law removes most racial barriers to voting.

base

[(1) a military center; (2) to establish as a fact]

My brother is at a military training base. (1)

Her research was based on experiments. (2)

battle

[a fight between opposing armed forces]

Southern forces won the battle but lost the war.

be

[(1) to live; (2) to happen; (3) to exist]

The man is very sick and will not be here much longer. (1)

The wedding will be soon. (2)

Washington, D.C., has been the capital for 200 years. (3)

beat

[to hit again and again]

The prison guards denied they beat the prisoner.