* Verb: This is the most common use. It describes an action.
* Example: "The dog is running in the park."
* Gerund: This acts as a noun.
* Example: "Running is good exercise."
* Present Participle: This acts as an adjective, modifying a noun.
* Example: "The running water made a soothing sound."
To determine the part of speech, you need to look at the context of the sentence.