wooden stick; wooden pole
A stick or pole made of wood; can range from a small rod to a long pole. The reading きほう is obsolete.
He struck the ground with a wooden stick.
I set up a wooden pole in the garden and hung the laundry.
棒 is a general term for any stick, rod, or pole, not necessarily wooden. 木棒 specifically indicates it is made of wood.
木の棒 is a more common, everyday phrase meaning 'wooden stick'. 木棒 is a compound noun with the same meaning but less frequently used.
Standard kanji spelling for 'wooden stick/pole'.
Rare variant using 鋒 (spearhead/point), possibly emphasizing a pointed wooden stick.
Rare variant using 鉾 (halberd), possibly for a wooden polearm or ceremonial object.
Compound of 木 (ki, 'wood') and 棒 (bō, 'stick, pole'). The reading きぼう is a standard compound reading; きほう is an older, now obsolete reading.