Vocabulary Pronunciation Pairs

Pronunciation Pairs
English pronunciation is so crazy that it sometimes even trips up native-speakers. Two words can have the same spelling but different pronunciation depending on the meaning.
This is a kind of self-checking exercise. Each of these sentences has such a pair of words. Read the sentence. If you're not sure about the different pronunciation of the two words, use your dictionary to check it. These are all common expressions.
1. We polish the Polish furniture every day.
2. He could lead if he would get the lead out.
3. A farm can produce produce.
4. The dump was so full it had to refuse refuse.
5. The soldier decided to desert in the desert.
6. The present is a good time to present the present.
7. At the Army base, a bass was painted on the head of a bass drum.
8. The dove dove into the bushes.
9. I did not object to the object.
10. The insurance for the invalid was invalid.
11. The bandage was wound around the wound.
12. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13. They were too close to the door to close it.
14. The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15. They sent a sewer down to stitch the tear in the sewer line.
16. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18. After a number of Novocain injections, my jaw got number.
19. I shed a tear when I saw the tear in my clothes.
20. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
22. I spent last evening evening out a pile of dirt.