Map Keys and Legends Worksheet
Grade 2 students match map symbols to their meanings, fill in blanks about map keys, and decide if statements about legends are true or false.
12 questions · Matching · Fill in the blank · True or false · Recognition
Reading a map key is one of the first map skills young learners need. A map key, also called a legend, is the small box on a map that explains what every symbol or color stands for. Without it, a river, a road, and a park would all look like shapes with no meaning. This worksheet gives Grade 2 students practice matching symbols to their definitions, using a word bank to complete sentences about map keys, and checking whether statements about legends are true or false. It works well as a classroom introduction, a homework review, or a quick check for understanding after a map skills lesson. No printed map is needed — all the information students need is built into each question.
Map Keys and Legends Worksheet — Grade 2
Read each part carefully. Use the clues to help you answer every question.
Word bank
- legend
- park
- school
- symbol
Remember
- A map key, also called a legend, shows what each symbol on a map means.
- Symbols are small pictures or shapes. Each one stands for a real place or thing.
- When you read a map, always check the key first so you know what you are looking at.
Part A — Match each map symbol to its meaning
Draw a line from each symbol on the left to its meaning on the right.
Choose from
- A. a campground
- B. a river or water
- C. a road
- D. a forest or park
- E. a capital city
- 1.
A blue wavy line on a map key
- 2.
A small green tree on a map key
- 3.
A yellow star on a map key
- 4.
A thick red line on a map key
- 5.
A small tent on a map key
Part B — Fill in the blank
This map key shows: red square = school, green circle = park. Use the word bank to fill in each blank.
- 6.
Another name for a map key is a ____.
- 7.
A small picture in a map key is called a ____.
- 8.
On the map, a green circle stands for a ____.
- 9.
On the map, a red square stands for the ____.
Part C — True or False
Read each sentence. Write True if it is correct. Write False if it is not.
- 10.
A map key tells you what each symbol on a map means.
- 11.
A yellow star on a map always means a park.
- 12.
A map legend and a map key are two different things.
Answer key
Part A — Match each map symbol to its meaning
- 1.a river or water
- 2.a forest or park
- 3.a capital city
- 4.a road
- 5.a campground
Part B — Fill in the blank
- 6.legend
- 7.symbol
- 8.park
- 9.school
Part C — True or False
- 10.True
- 11.False - a yellow star on a map usually means a capital city.
- 12.False - a map legend and a map key are the same thing.
What this sheet teaches
- Match common map symbols to their meanings using a map key.
- Use a word bank to fill in missing words about map keys and legends.
- Decide whether a statement about a map key or legend is true or false.
Notes for the adult
- Students often confuse the map key with the map itself — watch for students pointing to symbols instead of the key box.
- Hold up a simple map and cover the key, then uncover it to show how much easier the map becomes to read.
- A student is ready to move on when they can name two symbols and explain what each one stands for.