Math Drill Pages

Making Change Worksheet

Twelve shopping problems. In Part A something costs less than a dollar, the shopper pays with $1, and students write the change in cents. In Part B the shopper pays with a $5 bill and students write the change in dollars and cents. No price ends in a 0, so every answer takes a little thinking. The answer key is on page 2.

Grade
Grade 2–3
Problems
12
Time
About 15 minutes
Standard
2.MD.C.8
Download PDF (US Letter) Download PDF (A4)

Two pages: the worksheet, then the answer key. No sign-up needed.

Worksheet preview

Part A: Change from $1 Write the change in cents.

  1. A banana costs 38¢. You pay $1.00.Change: 62¢
  2. A marker costs 82¢. You pay $1.00.Change: 18¢
  3. A notebook costs 52¢. You pay $1.00.Change: 48¢
  4. A sticker costs 76¢. You pay $1.00.Change: 24¢
  5. An apple costs 59¢. You pay $1.00.Change: 41¢
  6. A bouncy ball costs 12¢. You pay $1.00.Change: 88¢
  7. A pack of crayons costs 64¢. You pay $1.00.Change: 36¢
  8. A ruler costs 33¢. You pay $1.00.Change: 67¢

Part B: Change from $5 Write the change with a dollar sign, like $2.35.

  1. A toy truck costs $3.85. You pay $5.00.Change: $1.15
  2. A kite costs $2.05. You pay $5.00.Change: $2.95
  3. A paint set costs $1.75. You pay $5.00.Change: $3.25
  4. A water bottle costs $3.35. You pay $5.00.Change: $1.65

Tips for teachers and parents

  • Count up from the price, like a shop assistant. For 63¢ from $1: 63 to 65 is 2¢, 65 to 75 is 10¢, 75 to 100 is 25¢. Change is 2 + 10 + 25 = 37¢.
  • Or subtract: 100 − 63 = 37. Both ways give the same answer, and checking one with the other catches mistakes.
  • A handy shortcut: the two numbers always add up to 100 cents. 63 and 37 make 100.
  • Act it out with real coins and a toy shop. Making change with real money sticks much better than on paper alone.

Common mistakes

  • Getting 47¢ instead of 37¢ for 63¢ from $1. This is the same regrouping-across-zeros mistake as in 100 − 63. Counting up avoids it.
  • Writing $2.5 instead of $2.50 in Part B.

What to practice next

Children who find this easy can try money word problems with more than one item.

Frequently asked questions

How do I teach making change?

Counting up from the price to the amount paid is the easiest method for most children. Subtraction works too and is a good way to check.

Why do the prices never end in zero?

Prices like 40¢ are easy to subtract in your head. Prices like 47¢ make students practice the counting-up method.

Is there an answer key?

Yes, page 2 has every answer.