My understand is that if I say "mein Freund", it generally is taken to mean "my boyfriend", while if I say "ein Freund von mir", it means "my (male) friend". In this case, "der Freund", is there any slant to which meaning is implied, or will context determine it?
The first time when the sentence came up, it was impossible for me to guess what the speaker said. I only got it right the second time because I remember what was the correct answer. I think the sentence would be better if it came with some context, like learning "something."