multiple M₃U₁L₁T₁I₁P₃L₁E₁

Multiple is a familiar eight-letter word whose two L tiles are easy to overlook when you count its points. Its main mathematical sense is a number produced by multiplication, but the word also names a price-earnings ratio or one item from a set of duplicates. In everyday speech, it often describes more than one thing, as in “multiple choices.” The different senses all share the idea of quantity or repetition.

Multiple at a glance

• MULTIPLE scores 12 points in Scrabble before any board bonuses.
• M and P are each worth 3 points; the other six tiles are worth 1 each.
• The letters in MULTIPLE form no listed anagrams.
• Multiply is its only one-letter neighbor.
• Twelve rhymes share its ending, including people, simple, couple, and triple.

What does multiple mean?

Multiple means a whole number obtained by multiplying one whole number by another. For instance, 12 is a multiple of 3. In this sense, the word describes a relationship between numbers, not the multiplication operation itself.

The entry also gives “multiple” as a price-earnings ratio and as one of a set of identical or similar things. Those uses explain phrases such as “a valuation multiple” and “a multiple of the same item.” The meaning depends on the noun or topic around it.

How can you use MULTIPLE in word games?

For Scrabble, the 12-point face value comes from M and P: each contributes 3 points, while U, both L tiles, T, I, and E contribute 1 apiece. That makes the two premium letters worth half the base score. A letter bonus square on M or P can raise the total quickly.

Multiply is the sole one-letter neighbor, so changing just one letter gives you a direct link to another familiar word. The rhyme group is broader: people, example, couple, simple, and principle all share the final sound. MULTIPLE itself has no anagrams, so rearranging its tiles will not produce another listed word.

The word appears in Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE. Those lists agree on its word-game status, though a specific app or house list can still differ; check the game’s own rules if a challenge depends on acceptance. For nearby eight-letter searches, compare words beginning with M or ending in E.