ball and baseball share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. ball means “round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games”. baseball means “a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs”. ball is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbɔl/
1.n.round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
“the ball travelled 90 mph on his serve”
2.n.a solid projectile that is shot by a musket
“they had to carry a ramrod as well as powder and ball”
3.n.an object with a spherical shape
“a ball of fire”
| ball | baseball | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɔl/ | /ˈbeɪsˈbɔl/ |
| Said | bawl | BAYS-bawl |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Letters | 4 | 8 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Senses | 13 | 2 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | baseball game, ball |
Full entry for ball · Full entry for baseball · More comparisons
/ˈbeɪsˈbɔl/
1.n.a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs
“he played baseball in high school”
2.n.a ball used in playing baseball