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Grade 5 · Number & Operations — Fractions · 5.NF.A.1

Adding and Subtracting Unlike Denominators Worksheets

Free, printable, and ready to teach: a practice worksheet, homework, an exit ticket, and an answer key with step-by-step solutions — plus lesson slides you can edit. No sign-up needed.

First page of the adding and subtracting unlike denominators practice worksheet

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PDFs print on US Letter paper. Free for classroom and home use.

Watch: Adding Fractions With Unlike Denominators (The Money Trick)

Key idea

Same-sized pieces first, then count. Change the top by the same factor as the bottom. Predict the range, then calculate, then compare.

Sample problems

Work out 1/2 + 1/3
Work out 2/3 + 1/4
Work out 1/4 + 3/8
Work out 3/4 − 1/2

Common mistakes to watch for

Answered 3/7 — tops and bottoms added. 3/7 is less than 2/3, which the range written down would have caught immediately.
Answered 4/3 by subtracting across — bigger than 5/6, which the range rejects on sight.
Answered 2½, taking 1/4 from 3/4 instead of the other way round because 1/4 − 3/4 looked impossible. 2½ is more than 3 − 1, which is impossible for this subtraction.

The answer key explains each one, so you can tell what a wrong answer means.

How to use this set

Teach with the slides (about 15 minutes), or watch the video together.
Practice with the worksheet. Questions climb from fluency to application to reasoning.
Check understanding with the exit ticket.
Mark with the answer key — each answer shows the steps and the most likely mistake.

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