Noun
たけ
このおはしは竹でできています。
These chopsticks are made of bamboo.
竹は、一メートルぐらいのたかさまで切ってしまうと、ねまでかれてしまいます。
If you cut a bamboo to about a meter high, it dies and even its roots wither.
竹細工が本当に好きなんだ！うちのテレビも俺が竹から作ったんだよ。まあ、動かないけどね。でも、見た目がいいんだよ。
I love working with bamboo! I made my television out of bamboo. It doesn’t work, but it sure looks nice.
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well!
Since this word is made up of a single kanji, it should use the kun'yomi reading which is also the reading you associated with the kanji, earlier.