Head Of Plant, Ear Of Plant
noun
The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well.
ほ
The reading is the same as the one you learned with the kanji.
私達はお腹がペコペコだったので、麦の穂を集めてそのまま生で食べたんです。
We were so hungry that we gathered ears of wheat and ate them raw.