* Noun: When referring to a set of two similar things.
* Example: "I bought three pairs of socks."
* Verb: When meaning "to join or match together in pairs."
* Example: "The students paired up for the project."
* Adjective: While less common, it can be used to describe something that comes in pairs.
* Example: "These are pairs of shoes."
To determine the part of speech, look at the context of the sentence and how the word is functioning.