Maths Library

Money and Making Change: Grade 2 math

This topic covers recognising coin and note values, calculating totals, and working out change from transactions. Students practise multi-step real-world money word problems involving addition, subtraction, and unit decimal notation.

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What this covers

Money and Making Change is taught in Grade 2 (age 7 to 8) as a main teaching focus. It sits in the Measurement strand.

Worked example

Oliver buys a book for £4.35 and a pen for £1.80. He pays with a £10 note. How much change does he receive

  1. Calculate total spent: 4.35 + 1.80 = 6.15.
  2. Subtract total spent from amount paid: 10.00 - 6.15.
  3. 10.00 - 6.15 = 3.85.

Answer: £3.85

Difficulty scale

The sheet generator offers five difficulty settings for this topic.

  1. Adding small coin combinations within 100p or $1.00.
  2. Finding change from whole currency units (£1, $1, £5, $5) for single items.
  3. Adding two to three decimal prices and finding change from £10 or $10.
  4. Multi-step purchase problems involving discounts or multiple identical items.
  5. Complex budgeting word problems involving multiple transactions and best-buy comparisons.

Common mistakes

  • Writing money values with incorrect decimal places, such as writing £4.5 instead of £4.50.
  • Mixing units incorrectly, e.g. adding 45p and £2 to get £47 or 47p.

Curriculum links

Indicative matches to Common Core State Standards. Check wording and codes against the official document.

  • 2.MD.C.8 Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies.

Sample sheet and answers

Six questions at the level's usual difficulty. Open the editor to change, add or regenerate any of them.

Money and Making Change

Grade 2 math

Qs
6
Marks
12
NameDateScore / 12
1.
Two items cost $0.40 and $1.10. You pay with $5.00. How much change do you get?
[2]
2.
Two items cost $1.00 and $1.50. You pay with $5.00. How much change do you get?
[2]
3.
Two items cost $1.75 and $1.30. You pay with $5.00. How much change do you get?
[2]
4.
Two items cost $1.80 and $0.90. You pay with $5.00. How much change do you get?
[2]
5.
Two items cost $2.10 and $0.50. You pay with $5.00. How much change do you get?
[2]
6.
Two items cost $1.20 and $0.30. You pay with $5.00. How much change do you get?
[2]

Answer key

  1. $3.50Total: $1.50; $5.00 − $1.50 = $3.50
  2. $2.50Total: $2.50; $5.00 − $2.50 = $2.50
  3. $1.95Total: $3.05; $5.00 − $3.05 = $1.95
  4. $2.30Total: $2.70; $5.00 − $2.70 = $2.30
  5. $2.40Total: $2.60; $5.00 − $2.60 = $2.40
  6. $3.50Total: $1.50; $5.00 − $1.50 = $3.50