* Noun: When referring to the external form of an object.
* Example: "The artist studied the shape of the vase."
* Verb: When meaning to give a particular form to something.
* Example: "The potter shaped the clay into a beautiful bowl."
* Adjective: When used to describe something as having a particular shape.
* Example: "The cake was shapeless after being dropped."
So, the part of speech for "shape" is determined by its context in a sentence.