In fact, hack has only one meaning, an extremely subtle and profound one which defies articulation. Which connotation is implied by a given use of the word depends in similarly profound ways on the context.
Similar remarks apply to a couple of other hacker words, most notably random .
This kind of hack is easier to explain to non-hackers than the programming kind. The reporter learned exactly how the stunts were operated, and also that the director would be out to dinner later. They then had a printer run off 2300 copies of the blank. Using these as a guide, they made new instructions for three of the stunts on the duplicated blanks. Finally, they broke in once more, replacing the stolen master plans and substituting the stack of diddled instruction sheets for the original set.