In his book, "Studies in Words", C.S. Lewis talks about the "dangerous sense" of a word. He described situations where we are not confused or unfamiliar with the word; we are just not aware that the original author was using it in a sense that is not longer used.
Of course, this problem can also exist without the time factor. Many words have a wide range of meanings, depending on context.
Describe the most common senses of a word and identify the one you’ll be using.
Essentially, you're saying, "Here is the etymological map and this is where we are." Or alternatively, "Here is the map, and here is where the author was when he wrote this 1,000 years ago."
A "semantic map" will help you (or your readers) keep all of those senses in mind as you read without committing the etymological fallacy, which assumes that any meaning of a word in its history must be a meaning of the word now.
Words are remarkable in this sense, because they retain all of those senses over time. They are like persistent data structures. Every word in a language has countless little dents in it. A good semantic map will help you with the flavor of your word choices. Instead of choosing the first word that comes to mind, you can choose one with traces that add texture to your writing.
When the translators of the KJV used word "conversation" (Philippians 1:27, 1 Timothy 4:12, Hebrews 13:5, etc.), they meant "lifestyle", not an "informal talk". The older the text you are reading, the more likely that these "dangerous senses" are present in your mind as you read.