One-step word problems

Learning goals

Identifies the relevant quantities and the unknown in a context.
Chooses operations or equations that represent the situation.
Calculates the unknown quantity in a one-step word problem.
Interprets the result in context, including units when appropriate.
Checks the answer for reasonableness.

Difficulty: 1 – 5

Click problems to add them to your worksheet.

One-step word problems 1

Mia wants to buy a new game. She saves $\$7$ from her allowance each week. How much money has she saved after $9$ weeks?

Hints

- What amount does Mia save each week? - Which operation can you use when the same amount is added each week? - Use a multiplication fact with $7$ and $9$.

Solution

1. Mia saves the same amount each week. 2. Multiply: $\$7 \times 9 = \$63$.

Answer

Mia has saved $\$63$ after $9$ weeks.

One-step word problems 2

Ms. Green's class is training for a charity run. From Monday through Friday, the students do $9$ minutes of sprint practice each day. How many minutes of sprint practice do they do altogether during the school week?

Hints

- Count the school days from Monday through Friday. - The same number of minutes is repeated each day. - Represent the equal daily amounts with multiplication.

Solution

1. There are $5$ practice days from Monday through Friday. 2. Multiply the equal daily amounts: $5 \times 9 = 45$.

Answer

The students do $45$ minutes of sprint practice altogether.

One-step word problems 3

Each package contains $8$ markers. How many markers are in $5$ packages?

Hints

- The same number of markers is in every package. - Decide whether equal groups call for addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. - Use a multiplication fact you know.

Solution

1. Multiply the number of markers in each package by the number of packages: $8 \times 5 = 40$.

Answer

There are $40$ markers in $5$ packages.

One-step word problems 4

Sasha packs $35$ cards into envelopes that each hold $5$ cards. Which equation tells how many envelopes are needed: $35\div5=\square$ or $35\times5=\square$? Solve it.

Hints

- Are you finding the number of groups or the number of cards in a group? - How could you check your equation with multiplication?

Solution

1. Each envelope holds five cards, so divide to find the number of envelopes. 2. $35\div5=7$, so Sasha needs seven envelopes.

Answer

$35\div5=7$. Sasha needs $7$ envelopes.

One-step word problems 5

Four children watch an $80$-minute movie together, then a $25$-minute cartoon. Olga says, “There are four of us, so I must divide the movie's $80$ minutes by $4$.” How many minutes of movies did each child watch altogether? Explain why Olga should not divide by $4$.

Hints

- Did they watch together or take turns? - Which times describe the two shows they all watched? - Check whether your answer changes just because more people watch.

Solution

1. All four children watched both shows from start to finish, so the movie time is not split among them. 2. Each child watched $80 + 25 = 105$ minutes of movies.

Answer

Each child watched $105$ minutes. Dividing by $4$ would wrongly split the movie among the viewers.

One-step word problems 6

Five family members drive $80$ miles to an aquarium, then $30$ miles to a park. Mina says, “The first trip was $400$ miles because five people rode in the car.” a) How far did the car travel on both drives together? b) Why is Mina's first-trip distance wrong?

Hints

- What distances did the car actually travel? - How many times did the car make each drive? - Does carrying five people make a road five times longer?

Solution

1. The car traveled $80 + 30 = 110$ miles in all. 2. The five people shared one ride; the first drive was $80$ miles, not five copies of the distance. Mina multiplied the distance by the number of riders.

Answer

a) $110$ miles. b) The five people rode in the same car. The first drive was $80$ miles, not $400$ miles.

One-step word problems 7

An elementary school orders new equipment for recess. a) The school receives $5$ bags with $8$ tennis balls in each bag. How many tennis balls are there altogether? b) The school also receives $24$ table tennis balls. They are shared equally among $3$ bins. How many balls go in each bin?

Hints

- In a), find the number of equal groups and the amount in each group. - In b), decide what “shared equally among $3$ bins” tells you to find. - Use multiplication to check each answer.

Solution

1. For a), multiply the number of bags by the number of balls in each bag: $5 \times 8 = 40$. 2. For b), divide the total number of balls equally among the bins: $24 \div 3 = 8$.

Answer

a) There are $40$ tennis balls altogether. b) Each bin holds $8$ table tennis balls.

One-step word problems 8

A baker has $56\,\text{kg}$ of flour and uses $7\,\text{kg}$ each day. Write a division question that can be answered from this information. Then solve it.

Hints

- Think about what can be found from a total amount and an amount used each day. - Which operation shows how many groups of $7$ are in $56$? - Use a related multiplication fact with $7$.

Solution

1. One possible question is, “For how many days will the flour last?” 2. Divide the total amount by the amount used each day: $56 \div 7 = 8$.

Answer

Question: “For how many days will the flour last?” Answer: The flour will last for $8$ days.

One-step word problems 9

Leah uses $2$ cups of apple juice for each batch of fruit punch. Tom uses $3$ cups for each batch. How many cups of apple juice does each person use to make $3$ batches?

Hints

- Each person makes $3$ equal batches. - Multiply the amount for one batch by $3$. - Calculate each person's amount separately.

Solution

1. Leah uses $3 \times 2 = 6$ cups of apple juice. 2. Tom uses $3 \times 3 = 9$ cups of apple juice.

Answer

Leah uses $6$ cups of apple juice, and Tom uses $9$ cups.

One-step word problems 10

A baker has $42$ muffins. Nine have red icing. The others have no icing yet. Write your own math question about these muffins. It must use both numbers and ask for something not already given. You should be able to answer it with one subtraction. Write your question, then solve it.

Hints

- Your question must ask for a number the story has not told you. - Think about how the two given numbers are connected. - Check that your equation answers the question you wrote.

Solution

1. One possible question is “How many muffins have no icing yet?” 2. Subtract the $9$ muffins with icing from the total: $42-9=33$. 3. There are $33$ muffins without icing. Other one-subtraction questions are acceptable if they use both quantities and ask for an unknown.

Answer

Example question: “How many muffins have no icing yet?” Answer: $42-9=33$; $33$ muffins have no icing yet.

One-step word problems 11

Ferry service: <table><tr><th>Ferry route</th><th>Number of trips</th></tr><tr><td>North</td><td>$25$</td></tr><tr><td>South</td><td>$30$</td></tr><tr><td>Island</td><td>$18$</td></tr><tr><td>Harbor</td><td>$22$</td></tr></table> Seven more trips are added to the Island route. What is the new number of trips for each route?

Hints

- Identify the one route whose number changes. - Add the extra trips to that route's original value. - Keep every other table value unchanged.

Solution

1. Only the Island route changes: $18 + 7 = 25$. 2. The other route values remain unchanged.

Answer

North: $25$ South: $30$ Island: $25$ Harbor: $22$

One-step word problems 12

On Monday and Friday, club attendance was as follows: Drumming had $8$ and $11$ students, Drama had $12$ and $10$, and Chess had $9$ and $9$. Which statement is true? A: Fewer students attend Drumming on Friday than on Monday. B: Two more students attend Drama on Monday than on Friday. C: One more student attends Chess on Friday than on Monday.

Hints

- Match each statement to the two numbers for that club. - Check all three statements before choosing.

Solution

1. Statement A is false because $11 > 8$. 2. Statement B is true because $12 - 10 = 2$. 3. Statement C is false because both values are $9$.

Answer

Statement B is true.

One-step word problems 13

A game board has an area of $24$ square units. It will be covered with identical rectangular tiles, and each tile covers exactly $2$ square units. How many tiles are needed if there are no gaps or overlaps?

Hints

- Relate the area of one tile to the board's total area. - Find how many equal $2$-square-unit groups fit in $24$ square units.

Solution

1. Each tile accounts for $2$ of the $24$ square units. 2. The number of tiles is $24 \div 2 = 12$.

Answer

The board needs $12$ tiles.

One-step word problems 14

The diagram shows chairs arranged in equal rows for a class presentation. Each square represents one chair. How many chairs are there altogether? Write a multiplication equation.

Hints

- Read the equal-row arrangement from the diagram. - Count how many rows there are and how many chairs are in one row. - Represent the equal rows with multiplication.

Solution

1. The diagram shows $4$ rows with $7$ chairs in each row. 2. Multiply the number of rows by the number in each row: $4 \times 7 = 28$.

Answer

There are $28$ chairs. $4 \times 7 = 28$.

One-step word problems 15

A coach puts $56$ practice cones equally into $7$ storage bags. How many cones go in each bag?

Hints

- Decide whether the unknown is the number of groups or the amount in each group. - The total number of cones is being shared equally among a known number of bags. - Think of the related multiplication fact that uses the total as its product.

Solution

1. The $56$ cones are shared equally among $7$ bags, so use division. 2. $56 \div 7 = 8$.

Answer

$8$ cones go in each bag.

One-step word problems 16

Mr. Alvarez shares $54$ stickers equally among $6$ folders. Which equation matches the story: $54\div6$ or $6\div54$? Explain what the answer means, then solve.

Hints

- Ask which number is the total number of stickers. - Ask how many equal groups there are. - The answer should tell how many stickers go in each folder.

Solution

1. The total of $54$ stickers is being shared among $6$ equal folders, so the matching equation is $54 \div 6$. 2. $54 \div 6 = 9$. 3. The answer tells how many stickers go in each folder.

Answer

$54 \div 6 = 9$. Each folder gets $9$ stickers.

One-step word problems 17

Six cartons hold $7$ juice boxes each. Write an equation using $n$ for the total number of juice boxes. Then find $n$ and explain what it represents.

Hints

- Decide what quantity $n$ should represent before writing the equation. - The cartons are equal groups, so use the number of cartons and the number in each carton. - After solving, state what the value of $n$ means in the situation.

Solution

1. Six equal cartons with $7$ juice boxes each are represented by $n=6 \times 7$. 2. $6 \times 7=42$, so $n=42$. 3. The value $42$ is the total number of juice boxes in all six cartons.

Answer

$n=6 \times 7$, so $n=42$. The $42$ represents the total number of juice boxes.

One-step word problems 18

Ms. Chen shares $32$ scissors equally among $8$ tables. Write a question that can be answered from this information. Then solve it.

Hints

- Think about what you could ask about one table. - The scissors are shared equally. - Which operation is used to split a total into equal groups?

Solution

1. One possible question is, “How many scissors are placed at each table?” 2. Divide equally: $32 \div 8 = 4$.

Answer

Question: “How many scissors are placed at each table?” Answer: Each table gets $4$ scissors.

One-step word problems 19

Leah has $32$ trading cards. She wants to share them equally among $4$ friends. Leah says, “Each of you will get $9$ cards.” Is Leah correct? Explain with an equation.

Hints

- Use a related multiplication fact to check the claim. - If $32$ cards are split into $4$ equal groups, how many cards are in each group? - What is $4 \times 9$? - How many cards would Leah need for each friend to receive $9$?

Solution

1. Divide the total number of cards by the number of friends: $32 \div 4 = 8$. 2. Leah’s claim would require $4 \times 9 = 36$ cards. 3. Because she has only $32$ cards, Leah is not correct. Each friend gets $8$ cards.

Answer

No. Each friend gets $8$ cards because $32 \div 4 = 8$.

One-step word problems 20

The answer to a question about this table is, “David collected $5$ more leaves than Alma.” <table><thead><tr><th>Student</th><th>Leaves collected</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Alma</td><td>$12$</td></tr><tr><td>David</td><td>$17$</td></tr><tr><td>Kenan</td><td>$14$</td></tr></tbody></table> Write a question that matches the answer.

Hints

- Identify the two values used in the answer. - Write a question that asks for their difference.

Solution

1. The answer compares David's $17$ leaves with Alma's $12$ leaves. 2. Their difference is $17 - 12 = 5$.

Answer

One possible question is, “How many more leaves did David collect than Alma?”

One-step word problems 21

Seven boxes hold $8$ pencils each. Noah says the total is $7 + 8$. Ava says the total is $7 \times 8$. Who is correct? Explain and find the total number of pencils.

Hints

- What do $7$ and $8$ each mean in the story? - Are there $7$ equal groups of $8$, or are the numbers simply being joined? - Choose the equation that matches the equal groups.

Solution

1. The boxes are equal groups of $8$ pencils, repeated $7$ times. 2. Multiplication represents equal groups, so Ava's equation is correct: $7 \times 8 = 56$. 3. Adding $7 + 8$ combines the number of groups with the size of one group, so it does not represent the situation.

Answer

Ava is correct. The $7$ boxes are $7$ equal groups of $8$ pencils, so $7\times8=56$. The addition $7+8$ does not represent seven groups of eight.

All problems may be used, copied and printed free of charge for school and tutoring, including paid tutoring. Commercial adaptations as well as publication or redistribution on the internet are not permitted.

Grade 3 math worksheets

One-step word problems

Learning goals

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Hints

Solution

Answer

Worksheet