SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 16 September 2025, Shift 3 · English Comprehension · Question 13 of 75

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 13 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. From 2025 the candidate response sheet prints every question and option as a picture, so the text here is transcribed from those pictures for this shift and checked against them independently; where the layout carries meaning, the picture is shown as well. Each answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

We doubt SSC's key on this question.

Sentence (b) uses current in the highlighted word's own sense, of the present time, exactly as (c) and (d) do, while (a) is the sentence that gives the word a different meaning, a flow of water; nothing in the definition of a homonym singles out the keyed (b), and this card follows the key.

The answer below is still the option SSC's key marks, and we solve to that option.

Select the sentence containing the homonym of the highlighted word: He took the current route to avoid delays.

(a)The current was unusually strong near the bridge.
(b)The report discussed current economic policies.
(c)She adapted to current fashion quickly.
(d)He read current events before the exam.

Answer

Why

Correct — B. SSC's key marks sentence (b), The report discussed current economic policies.

There current is an adjective meaning of the present time: the policies now in force. The stem's current route, the route in use now, has that same sense.

This card follows the key. See the dispute note → option (b).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
The current was unusually strong near the bridge. — The current here is a noun, a flow of water running strong near the bridge. SSC's key does not mark this sentence; the dispute note records why that is questioned.
(c)
She adapted to current fashion quickly. — current fashion is the fashion of the present time, the highlighted word's own adjective sense. The meaning does not change, exactly as in the keyed (b).
(d)
He read current events before the exam. — current events are events happening now. Current keeps the sense of the current route here, just as it does in the keyed (b).

Concept

A homonym is a word with the same spelling and sound as another but a different meaning: a stern warning, and the stern of a ship.

Fix the highlighted word's meaning first. In the current route, current is an adjective: of the present time, in use now.

Then look for a sentence where the meaning changes. As a noun, current is a flow of water, air or electricity moving in one direction.

The key is read from the colour-marked cell on a candidate's response sheet, which marks (b) for this question. The sheet does not say whether it carries SSC's tentative key or its final one.

Key facts

Current (adjective): of the present time, as in current events and current fashion.
Current (noun): a flow of water, air or electricity moving in one direction.
Homonyms share spelling and sound but differ in meaning: stern (strict) and stern (the rear of a ship).

Study next

Words whose meaning shifts with part of speech: current, present, sternHomophones such as row and roe, which sound alike but are spelt differentlyPolysemy versus homonymy: related senses of one word, or unrelated words sharing a form

Common traps

Taking a change of setting for a change of meaning: a fashion trend and exam reading keep current as of the present time, the stem's sense

The same instruction is keyed to the changed meaning at 21 Sep 2025, 16:00, English Q.19, where the stern of the ship is keyed against a stern warning, and at 18 Sep 2025, 12:30, English Q.13, where a steel mitre joint is keyed against a bishop's mitre.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Homonyms and confusables — all 29 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.