How are stars different from asteroids, meteorites, meteors and comets?

Shooting stars is an alliterative term. Stars are very much larger than asteroids and meteors and comets. Meteorites can land on the earth - and have done - causing damage - but that tells you they are relatively small - the earth is puny compared to the size of the sun. The sun shines because the pressure it creates via gravity compresses matter into nuclear reactions - none of the other bodies you mention shine in that way. Comets are merely icy bodies that traverse paths around planets leaving a gassy trail. Asteroids are merely rocks that float around in space. Meteorites are meteors that fall to earth - again merely rocky bodies. Stars are a whole other kettle of fish.

A star is a massive sphere of hydrogen and helium with nuclear fusion occurring in the core. They range in size from about 50,000 km up to 1,400,000,000 km. ^ An asteroid is a lump of rock ranging in size from a large boulder up to a small dwarf planet. A comet is a dirty ice ball ranging in size from a large boulder up to a small dwarf planet A meteoroid is anything from a grain of sand up to a large boulder. A meteor is a meteoroid that enters the Earths atmosphere. A meteorite is a meteoroid that has survived the atmosphere and has landed on Earth.