2nd grade money word problems worksheets

Second grade money word problems do two jobs. Coin-total stories still print the coins in the problem, and making-change stories ask for the change from $1, like a snack that costs 63¢. That's the money work 2.MD.C.8 asks for: solve word problems with quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core 2.MD.C.8.

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The kind of problems you'll get

Read each story. Show your reasoning and write each answer in dollars and cents.

  1. Nina pays $2.00 for a balloon that costs $1.36. How much change should Nina receive?

    Answer: $0.64

  2. A sticker costs $2.36 at school. Wyatt pays $5.00. How much change should Wyatt receive?

    Answer: $2.64

Every print pulls a fresh set of problems at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

What's on each sheet

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key after the problems.

How to teach this

Two kinds of problems share this sheet, so start each one by asking what the story wants: a total, or change. For change from $1, skip subtraction and count up like a cashier: 63, 65, 75, then a quarter makes a dollar. Real coins on the table for the first few problems make the count-up click.

Watch for: Kids answer with the number of coins in the story, so 2 dimes and 3 pennies becomes 5. Have them say each coin's value out loud before adding it on. Kids add the cost and the money paid when the story asks for change. Circle the question together: change means starting at the cost and counting up to what was paid. Kids drop the final zero and write $2.6, or leave the unit off entirely. Money keeps two places after the decimal point, and every answer needs its ¢ or $.

Common questions about money word problems

What kinds of money problems are on the second grade sheet?
A mix of coin totals and making change from $1. The total stories print the coins in the problem; the change stories give a price in cents and ask what comes back from a dollar.
How does the answer key handle the change problems?
It shows the count-up path, not just the number: from 63¢, 2 pennies make 65, a dime makes 75, a quarter makes $1.00, so the change is 37¢. You can walk the same path with real coins.

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Aligned to Common Core 2.MD.C.8. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 240, updated September 2026.

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