Sentence:  It was a word he was proud of , a word that meant much to him , and he <WSD>used</WSD> it with great pleasure , almost as if it were an exclusive possession , and more : he sensed himself to be very highly educated , four cuts above any of the folks back home . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose