The role and the paper

[genielynau]

Learning Basics 2 and I have been introduced to el papel as the paper but I have struck a multiple choice question twice to answer the translation of the role into Spanish. Of the 3 choices given the correct answer is el papel. Is that correct and if so why is it not an alternate given when asked to type the translation of el papel into English in further questions when the paper is correct?

[Dusse]

"Papel" can indeed mean "role" as well. The reason as to why "paper" isn't an alternative in that question is probably as simple as that it isn't the answer that they're looking for with that question.

[Olimar]

Good question. It's all about the context. This is, indeed, a though one, though. But, "papel" does, in fact, mean "paper" and "role," depending on the context in which it is used. I think the reason you're encountering some of this difficulty is because there would almost never be a situation in which a specific usage of "papel" could be translated as both "paper" or "role" interchangeably.