room vs populate

room is a noun but populate is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
room	Yes	No	Yes	No
populate	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, populate is a hypernym of room; that is, populate is a word with a broader meaning than room:

Other hypernyms of room include dwell, inhabit, live.

room (noun)	populate (noun)
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
the people who are present in a room
space for movement
opportunity for

room (verb)	populate (verb)
live and take one's meals at or in	fill with inhabitants
	be an inhabitant of or reside in