Math Drill Pages

3rd Grade Multiplication Word Problems

Eight multiplication stories for third graders. Each one describes equal groups or an array, such as bags of apples, rows of chairs or a sheet of stickers, and every answer is a multiplication fact within 100.

Grade
Grade 3
Problems
8
Time
About 15 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 Solve. Draw a picture or write an equation.

  1. A garden has 8 rows of carrots with 3 carrots in each row. How many carrots are in the garden?

    24

  2. Each team has 6 players. How many players are on 2 teams?

    12

  3. Jon reads 7 pages every day for 9 days. How many pages does he read?

    63

  4. A sticker sheet has 9 rows and 9 columns of stickers. How many stickers are on the sheet?

    81

  5. The chairs in the hall are set out in 6 rows of 10. How many chairs are there?

    60

  6. There are 8 bags with 5 apples in each bag. How many apples are there?

    40

  7. A baker puts 7 muffins on each of 2 trays. How many muffins are there?

    14

  8. Ms. Cruz buys 3 packs of pencils. Each pack has 6 pencils. How many pencils does she buy?

    18

Tips for teachers and parents

  • Ask your student to name the two numbers: how many groups, and how many in each group. Writing "groups × in each" above the problem helps.
  • For array stories (rows and columns), a quick sketch of a few rows shows why the numbers are multiplied.
  • Have students write an equation for each story, such as 6 × 8 = 48, before writing the answer.
  • If a fact is not known yet, students can skip-count or use a fact they do know, like 5 × 8 plus one more 8.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the two numbers instead of multiplying, for example writing 6 + 8 for 6 rows of 8 chairs. Ask: is this the same amount over and over?
  • Getting the order of the story backwards does not change the answer, but students should still say which number is the groups and which is the size of each group.

What to practice next

The 3rd grade division word problems use the same kinds of stories, worked backwards.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of multiplication word problems are included?

Equal-groups problems (bags, boxes, teams, days) and array problems (rows and columns). These are the two kinds named in the grade 3 standard.

How big are the numbers?

Both numbers are between 2 and 10, so every product is a multiplication fact within 100.

Is there an answer key?

Yes, page 2 has the answers to all 8 problems.