Does "love" mean the same thing in all of the above sentences? Obviously not. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that there are many words in Spanish that can be translated as "love." Use the verb amar or the noun amor to translate all the above sentences, and you'll sound foolish at best.
The idea that almost any word in one language can be translated into just one or two words in another language can lead to serious mistakes in vocabulary. Similarly, the fact that literally dozens of words can be used to translate even a simple word such as "love" is one thing that makes computerized translation so maddeningly undependable. Understanding context is one key to effective translation.
Before you go further, see how many words you can come up with that can accurately translate "love" as a noun, verb, or part of a phrase. Then compare your list with the one on the next page.
