3 Digit by 2 Digit Multiplication Worksheets

Tips for teachers and parents

• Use the same two-line method as 2-digit by 2-digit: multiply by the ones digit, then by the tens digit with a zero placeholder, then add.
• Keep columns straight. With answers up to five digits, lined or graph paper prevents most addition errors.
• Estimate before solving. 487 × 36 is close to 500 × 40 = 20,000, so the answer should be somewhere in the tens of thousands.
• Let students check one problem per sheet with a calculator. Finding their own mistake teaches more than being told about it.

Common mistakes

• Misaligned partial products, which shift one digit into the wrong column. Ask students to draw light column lines before they start.
• Errors in the final addition, especially carrying across several columns. Have students add the partial products from right to left and say each carry.

What to practice next

Students who are accurate here are ready for 4-digit by 2-digit problems and for multi-step word problems that use multiplication.