Verb: This is the most common use, indicating the action of letting something fall or lowering it.
* Example: The ball was dropped.
Adjective: This describes something that has been lowered or let fall.
* Example: The dropped ball landed in the ditch.
Past participle: This acts as an adjective or part of a verb phrase.
* Example: The dropped ball was retrieved by the dog. (adjective)
* Example: The team has dropped the ball on this project. (verb phrase)
To determine the specific part of speech, you need to look at the context in which "dropped" is used.