Measurement Word Problems

Grade level

Grades 3–5

Time

About 25 minutes

Topic

Math word problems

Answer key

Yes, page 2 of the PDF

Kids practice

Reading word problems, Choosing the operation, Showing work, Multi-step reasoning

What kids do

“Read each problem. Show your work. Write the answer with its unit.”

Printed on the sheet:

1. 1 A ribbon is 48 inches long. Zoe cuts off 19 inches. How long is the ribbon now?
2. 2 A bag of apples weighs 3 pounds. How much do 7 bags weigh?
3. 3 A pitcher holds 2 liters. Dad pours out 750 milliliters. How much is left in the pitcher?
4. 4 The art table is 2 meters long. How many centimeters is that?
5. 5 A puppy weighed 12 pounds in May and 31 pounds in August. How much weight did it gain?
6. 6 Ms. Ortiz cuts a 5-foot board into pieces that are 1 foot long. How many pieces does she get?

Teacher tip

Have kids circle the unit in the question and check that their answer uses it.

How to use it

• Read each problem out loud for kids who are still building reading skills.
• Teach a routine: read it, picture it, circle the question, solve, check.
• Do the first problem together under a document camera, then let kids finish on their own.

Watch for

Kids who grab the numbers and add without reading. Ask them to retell the story first.

Talk about it

• What is the question really asking?
• Which problem was the hardest? What made it hard?

Take it further

Use the class lunch count, weather chart or library books to make real word problems.

US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.