💬 Vocabulary trivia for kids
Every answer checked 31 October 2026. Free, no sign-up, nothing to download.
Ten words a band, each with three meanings to choose from: words a child meets in books more than in talk, picked by reading level from Peabody's word bank, from grade 2 at the Little band to grade 8 at the Big one. The note after each answer uses the word in a sentence.
🐣 Little round: ages 6–8 (grades K–2)
- 1.What does the word “fuzzy” mean?
- A quick to learn and think of ideas
- B smell with short, quick breaths
- C covered in soft little hairs
- 2.What does the word “whisper” mean?
- A speak very, very softly
- B step down hard and loud
- C take a quick little look
- 3.What does the word “nervous” mean?
- A worried and a little bit scared
- B very cold and covered with frost
- C run very fast for a short way
- 4.What does the word “gentle” mean?
- A disappear all of a sudden
- B soft and kind, not rough
- C quick and light in moving
- 5.What does the word “sprout” mean?
- A begin to grow
- B very tired
- C very quick
- 6.What does the word “fragile” mean?
- A very, very old
- B begin to grow
- C easy to break
- 7.What does the word “rumble” mean?
- A quick and light in moving
- B brave and not afraid to try
- C make a deep, rolling sound
- 8.What does the word “giggle” mean?
- A run with quick little steps
- B laugh in a small, silly way
- C covered in soft little hairs
- 9.What does the word “crumble” mean?
- A break into tiny pieces
- B very pleased and happy
- C clever in a sneaky way
- 10.What does the word “dizzy” mean?
- A move slowly, carried by air or water
- B feeling like everything is spinning
- C bright because light bounces off it
🔑 Show the answers
- C: covered in soft little hairs. A fuzzy caterpillar crawls on my hand. Peabody's word bank
- A: speak very, very softly. Whisper so you don't wake the kitten. Peabody's word bank
- A: worried and a little bit scared. I felt nervous before my first swim lesson. Peabody's word bank
- B: soft and kind, not rough. Be gentle with the baby bunny. Peabody's word bank
- A: begin to grow. Bean seeds sprout in a few days. Peabody's word bank
- C: easy to break. Carry the fragile eggs carefully. Peabody's word bank
- C: make a deep, rolling sound. Thunder rumbles over the hills. Peabody's word bank
- B: laugh in a small, silly way. The baby giggles at the puppy. Peabody's word bank
- A: break into tiny pieces. The old cookie crumbles in my hand. Peabody's word bank
- B: feeling like everything is spinning. Spinning in circles makes me dizzy. Peabody's word bank
🦊 Middle round: ages 9–11 (grades 3–5)
- 1.What does the word “abundant” mean?
- A more than enough, plenty
- B quick and full of energy
- C messy and full of things
- 2.What does the word “turbulent” mean?
- A able to stretch and snap back
- B rough and full of wild movement
- C calm and peaceful, without worry
- 3.What does the word “rare” mean?
- A refusing to change your mind
- B careful to stay out of danger
- C not found or seen very often
- 4.What does the word “soothe” mean?
- A make calm or less sore
- B run as fast as you can
- C plain and not special
- 5.What does the word “distort” mean?
- A twist out of its normal shape
- B so strong it is hard to beat
- C swing back and forth steadily
- 6.What does the word “elusive” mean?
- A easy to bend or shape
- B slowly become smaller
- C hard to find or catch
- 7.What does the word “linger” mean?
- A giving off light, glowing
- B wild with hurry or worry
- C stay longer than expected
- 8.What does the word “peculiar” mean?
- A happy and full of fun
- B strange or unusual
- C extremely large
- 9.What does the word “generous” mean?
- A happy to share and give
- B huge and wide-spreading
- C thin and easily broken
- 10.What does the word “meticulous” mean?
- A shining with rainbow colors that shift
- B resting or sleeping for a while
- C very careful about every detail
🔑 Show the answers
- A: more than enough, plenty. Apples were abundant in the fall orchard. Peabody's word bank
- B: rough and full of wild movement. The turbulent river tossed the canoe. Peabody's word bank
- C: not found or seen very often. A white tiger is very rare. Peabody's word bank
- A: make calm or less sore. Mom's song soothed the crying baby. Peabody's word bank
- A: twist out of its normal shape. The funhouse mirror distorted my face. Peabody's word bank
- C: hard to find or catch. The elusive fox slipped away again. Peabody's word bank
- C: stay longer than expected. The smell of cookies lingered in the kitchen. Peabody's word bank
- B: strange or unusual. A peculiar purple frog sat on my porch. Peabody's word bank
- A: happy to share and give. The generous baker gave away free bread. Peabody's word bank
- C: very careful about every detail. Her meticulous drawing showed every whisker. Peabody's word bank
🦉 Big round: ages 12 and up (grades 6 and up)
- 1.What does the word “perspicacious” mean?
- A quick to notice and understand
- B sad and gloomy in a heavy way
- C so thin you can see through it
- 2.What does the word “crepuscular” mean?
- A sweet and smooth to hear
- B active at dawn and dusk
- C calm and never bothered
- 3.What does the word “invincible” mean?
- A too strong to be beaten
- B make less harsh or painful
- C likely to change suddenly
- 4.What does the word “audacious” mean?
- A daring and boldly brave
- B quietly thinking deeply
- C skillful with your hands
- 5.What does the word “ebullient” mean?
- A changing moods or ideas quickly
- B cheerful and bursting with energy
- C light and delicate, almost magical
- 6.What does the word “cacophony” mean?
- A likely to fall or go wrong
- B very dry, with little rain
- C a harsh mix of loud sounds
- 7.What does the word “kinetic” mean?
- A lasting only a short time
- B having to do with motion
- C daring and boldly brave
- 8.What does the word “augment” mean?
- A make larger or add to
- B dazzling and splendid
- C daring and boldly brave
- 9.What does the word “inquisitive” mean?
- A glowing without heat
- B spotless and like new
- C eager to ask questions
- 10.What does the word “dexterous” mean?
- A skillful with your hands
- B a complete change of form
- C too strong to be beaten
🔑 Show the answers
- A: quick to notice and understand. The perspicacious detective spotted the clue. Peabody's word bank
- B: active at dawn and dusk. Deer are crepuscular animals. Peabody's word bank
- A: too strong to be beaten. The team felt invincible after ten wins. Peabody's word bank
- A: daring and boldly brave. The audacious squirrel grabbed a sandwich from the picnic. Peabody's word bank
- B: cheerful and bursting with energy. The ebullient host greeted every guest. Peabody's word bank
- C: a harsh mix of loud sounds. The cacophony of honking geese woke us. Peabody's word bank
- B: having to do with motion. The kinetic sculpture spun in the breeze. Peabody's word bank
- A: make larger or add to. We augmented our garden with more beds. Peabody's word bank
- C: eager to ask questions. The inquisitive child asked why the sky is blue. Peabody's word bank
- A: skillful with your hands. The dexterous juggler kept five balls in the air. Peabody's word bank
For the host
After each answer, ask the player to use the word in a sentence of their own: a bonus point if it makes the table laugh.
- Read each question and its three answers aloud, or press ▶ Play and Peabody reads them; a tap shows the answer, a line about it and where it comes from.
- On a phone, pass it round: one question per team, a star for each right answer. On a laptop or a TV, press 📺 Big screen.
- On paper, print the cards, one answer sheet per team and the key on its own page.
Where these questions come from
Each question was written by Peabody in its own words and checked against one page, named under its answer. The pages we used for these rounds:
- Peabody's word bank