What part of speech is the word handling?

The word "handling" can be a few different parts of speech depending on how it's used in a sentence:

* Gerund: When "handling" acts as the subject or object of a sentence, it's a gerund. For example: "Handling the situation calmly is important."

* Present Participle: When "handling" modifies a noun or pronoun, it's a present participle. For example: "The handling of the crisis was commendable."

* Noun: Sometimes "handling" can function as a noun. For example: "The player's handling of the ball was impressive."

To determine the part of speech, consider the context of the sentence and the role of the word within it.