Using 2nd Grade Math Worksheets to Teach 3-Digit Subtraction With ... - Free Printable

Explanation:
We need to solve each 3-digit subtraction problem (no regrouping), find the answer, and match it to one of the numbers at the bottom. Each problem has a letter on its price tag — once we know the answer, we find which number matches, and that tells us which letter goes in that spot. At the end, the letters will spell out what the duck said.

Let’s solve each subtraction carefully:

1. m: 486 − 344 =
400 − 300 = 100
80 − 40 = 40
6 − 4 = 2
→ 142
So m = 142

2. $ (top row, second): 789 − 175 =
700 − 100 = 600
80 − 70 = 10
9 − 5 = 4
→ 614? Wait — let’s do digit by digit:
789
−175
----
Units: 9−5 = 4
Tens: 8−7 = 1
Hundreds: 7−1 = 6
→ 614
But 614 is not in the final list. Hmm — maybe I misread the letter. Let’s double-check the layout.

Wait — the final answer line shows groups like:
421 315 311 101 311 400 363 142 616 536 101 552 552

So possible answers are only those numbers. That means each subtraction must result in one of those.

Let me re-solve all problems and write down exact results:

Row 1:
- m: 486 − 344 = 142 ✔ (142 is in list)
- $ (2nd): 789 − 175 = 614 → not in list → maybe I misread the digits? Check image description: it says “78q” — oh! It's 789, yes. But 614 not in final numbers. Maybe the “$” problems are just labels, and only the lettered ones (m, p, u, o, t, y, n, i, b, l) matter? Wait — look again.

The price tags have letters: m, $, p, u, $, o, $, l, t, $, y, n, $, i, $, b
But the riddle says: *Use the letters on the price tags to solve the riddle.* So only the letters, not the $ signs. So ignore the $ problems — they’re just decoration or distractors? No — actually, looking at the grid: 4 rows × 4 columns = 16 problems. Some have letters (m, p, u, o, t, y, n, i, b, l) — let’s count how many lettered ones:

From grid:
1. m
2. $
3. p
4. u
5. $
6. o
7. $
8. l
9. t
10. $
11. y
12. n
13. $
14. i
15. $
16. b

So letters present: m, p, u, o, l, t, y, n, i, b → that’s 10 letters.

The riddle answer line has 13 groups of numbers — but maybe some letters repeat? Or maybe all 16 problems are used, and $ is just a symbol, but the letter is still there? No — the instruction says: *Use the letters on the price tags* — so only cells with letters (not $) give us letters for the riddle.

But the bottom line has blanks with numbers grouped — likely each blank corresponds to a letter, and we map answer → number → letter position.

Alternative approach: Solve every subtraction, get the result, then see which of the listed numbers (421, 315, 311, 101, 311, 400, 363, 142, 616, 536, 101, 552, 552) matches. There are 13 numbers, so probably 13 problems are used (maybe the $ ones are still assigned letters? No — the $ doesn’t give a letter).

Wait — look at the final line:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
But written as:
421 315 311 101 311 400 363 142 616 536 101 552 552

That’s 13 numbers. So 13 answers needed.

Let me solve all 16 subtractions precisely:

1. 486 − 344 = 142
2. 789 − 175 = 614
3. 889 − 468 = ?
889 − 468: 800−400=400, 80−60=20, 9−8=1 → 421 ✔ (421 is in list)
4. 497 − 182 = 315 ✔ (497−100=397, −80=317, −2=315) → 315
5. 857 − 547 = 310? Wait: 857−500=357, −47=310 → 310 — not in list. But maybe I misread: is it 857 − 547? Yes. 857−547 = 310. Not in list. Hmm.

Wait — perhaps the numbers at the bottom are the differences, and we need to match each difference to a letter, then read the letters in order of the numbers given at the bottom.

The bottom shows:
421 315 311 101 311 400 363 142 616 536 101 552 552

Let’s compute all 16 differences accurately:

1. m: 486 − 344 = 142
2. $: 789 − 175 = 614
3. p: 889 − 468 =
889
−468
---
9−8=1, 8−6=2, 8−4=4 → 421
4. u: 497 − 182 =
7−2=5, 9−8=1, 4−1=3 → 315
5. $: 857 − 547 =
7−7=0, 5−4=1, 8−5=3 → 310
6. o: 744 − 344 = 400 ✔
7. $: 975 − 565 =
5−5=0, 7−6=1, 9−5=4 → 410
8. l: 896 − 344 =
6−4=2, 9−4=5, 8−3=5 → 552 ✔
9. t: 736 − 425 =
6−5=1, 3−2=1, 7−4=3 → 311 ✔
10. $: 983 − 152 =
3−2=1, 8−5=3, 9−1=8 → 831
11. y: 839 − 223 =
9−3=6, 3−2=1, 8−2=6 → 616 ✔
12. n: 689 − 326 =
9−6=3, 8−2=6, 6−3=3 → 363 ✔
13. $: 755 − 240 = 515
14. i: 489 − 388 =
9−8=1, 8−8=0, 4−3=1 → 101 ✔
15. $: 486 − 133 = 353
16. b: 677 − 141 =
7−1=6, 7−4=3, 6−1=5 → 536 ✔

Now collect all results that match the bottom list numbers:

Bottom list:
421, 315, 311, 101, 311, 400, 363, 142, 616, 536, 101, 552, 552

From our calculations:
- 421 → problem 3 (p)
- 315 → problem 4 (u)
- 311 → problem 9 (t)
- 101 → problem 14 (i)
- 311 → again t? But maybe another gives 311? Check: any other = 311?
736−425 = 311 (t) — only one. But list has two 311s → maybe l? No, l=552. Wait — what about 857−547? We got 310, but maybe it's 857−546? No, image says 547.

Let me double-check problem 5: 857 − 547
857
−547
-----
7−7 = 0
5−4 = 1
8−5 = 3
→ 310. Not 311.

What about problem 13: 755 − 240 = 515 — no.

Wait — maybe I misread problem 10: 983 − 152 = 831, but what if it's 983 − 672? No.

Let’s instead match each number in the bottom list to a problem whose answer equals it:

1. 421 → p (889−468)
2. 315 → u (497−182)
3. 311 → t (736−425)
4. 101 → i (489−388)
5. 311 → ??? second 311 — maybe another problem? Check problem: is there 622−311? No.

Wait — look at problem: “o”: 744 − 344 = 400 → matches 6th in list: 400
Problem “n”: 689−326 = 363 → 7th
“m”: 142 → 8th
“y”: 616 → 9th
“b”: 536 → 10th
“i”: 101 → 11th
“l”: 552 → 12th
and another 552 → maybe l is used twice? Or is there another 552?

Problem 8: l = 896−344 = 552
Any other = 552? 677−125=552? But b is 677−141=536.

Wait — what is 896 − 344?
896
−344
= 552 ✔️

What about 975 − 423? Not in list.

Let me list all computed answers again with letters:

- m: 142
- p: 421
- u: 315
- o: 400
- t: 311
- y: 616
- n: 363
- i: 101
- b: 536
- l: 552

That’s 10 letters, 10 answers.

The bottom has 13 numbers. But notice: 311 appears twice, 101 appears twice, 552 appears twice.

Which problems give 101? Only i = 489−388 = 101.
Is there another? Check: 501−400 = 101 — not present.

Wait — maybe the $ problems are also assigned letters implicitly? No.

Alternative idea: The riddle answer is formed by taking the letters in the order of the bottom numbers. So for each number in the bottom sequence, find which letter has that difference, and write the letter.

Let’s make a mapping:

Answer → Letter:
142 → m
421 → p
315 → u
311 → t
101 → i
400 → o
363 → n
616 → y
536 → b
552 → l

Now go through the bottom number sequence:

1. 421 → p
2. 315 → u
3. 311 → t
4. 101 → i
5. 311 → t
6. 400 → o
7. 363 → n
8. 142 → m
9. 616 → y
10. 536 → b
11. 101 → i
12. 552 → l
13. 552 → l

So the letters are:
p u t i t o n m y b i l l

Read it: "put it on my bill"? No.

Group: put it on my bill → but we have: p-u-t-i-t-o-n-m-y-b-i-l-l

What if we read: "PUT IT ON MY BILL" — that’s 13 letters: P U T I T O N M Y B I L L → yes! 13 characters (including spaces? No, the blanks are separate groups — the bottom shows 13 number groups, likely 13 letters).

"PUTITONMYBILL" — but usually it's a phrase like “Quack!” or “I’m broke!” Wait — common duck joke: *What did the duck say after he went shopping?* → "Put it on my bill!"

Yes! That’s the classic pun: “bill” = duck’s bill (beak) and also invoice.

Our letters: p, u, t, i, t, o, n, m, y, b, i, l, l → spells PUTITONMYBILL

If we insert spaces: PUT IT ON MY BILL.

That matches perfectly.

So the answer is: PUT IT ON MY BILL

Final Answer:
PUT IT ON MY BILL