Math Drill Pages

Thanksgiving Word Problems

Ten Thanksgiving word problems for third graders, mixing multiplication and division. The stories are about tables of guests, rows of pumpkins, pies cut into slices and cans for the food drive. Students decide for each one whether to multiply or divide, and every answer uses facts within 100. The answer key is on page 2.

Grade
Grade 3
Problems
10
Time
About 20 minutes
Standard
3.OA.A.3
Download PDF (US Letter) Download PDF (A4)

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

Worksheet preview

Word problems Decide whether to multiply or divide. Write the answer on the line.

  1. The store has 9 bags of corn with 8 ears in each bag. How many ears of corn are there?

    72

  2. Mom bakes 18 cookies and puts 6 on each plate. How many plates does she fill?

    3

  3. Leo makes 8 paper turkeys. Each turkey has 7 feathers. How many feathers does he use?

    56

  4. 27 napkins are folded into equal stacks of 9. How many stacks are there?

    3

  5. Maya bakes 7 trays of rolls with 5 rolls on each tray. How many rolls does she bake?

    35

  6. Dad shares 56 cranberries equally among 8 bowls. How many cranberries are in each bowl?

    7

  7. A parade has 3 floats, and 8 people ride on each float. How many people ride on the floats?

    24

  8. A pie needs 8 apples. How many pies can be made with 40 apples?

    5

  9. Grandma sets up 4 tables for Thanksgiving dinner. Each table has 9 chairs. How many chairs are there?

    36

  10. The class packs 30 cans of food into 5 equal boxes. How many cans go in each box?

    6

Tips for teachers and parents

  • Before any numbers are written, ask "do we know the groups and need the total, or do we know the total?" That decides multiply or divide.
  • A quick sketch of a few groups helps with stories that feel tricky.
  • Have students write a number sentence for every story, like 6 × 4 = 24.
  • Check a division answer by multiplying it back.

Common mistakes

  • Multiplying in every problem because the first few were multiplication. The stories alternate on purpose.
  • Mixing up "how many groups" and "how many in each group" in division stories. Both are division, but the answer means something different.

What to practice next

For more practice, use the Thanksgiving multiplication and division fact sheets.

Frequently asked questions

What grade are these Thanksgiving word problems for?

Third grade. They match the grade 3 standard for multiplication and division word problems within 100.

Are the problems all multiplication?

No. There are 5 multiplication and 5 division stories, alternating, so students have to decide which operation to use.

Is there an answer key?

Yes, page 2 has every answer.