This paper describes the mental lexicon as a system in which the lexemes are assimilated, memorized, organized and applied according to certain rules. The microstructure of this network is based on polysemy which can be represented by star graphs (showing the prototypical and the secondary meanings of a lexeme). Some sample exercises are presented in order to illustrate the practical application in schools.
Semantics; lexeme; polysemy; didactics; vocabulary exercises