Manchester United fans had become increasingly ______ about Cristiano Ronaldo.

And the correct answer is ambivalent. Media reports say that Cristiano Ronaldo will move from Manchester United to Real Madrid for a record transfer fee of €93 million. Ronaldo is a fabulous footballer and the 42 goals he scored for United during the 2007/8 season were crucial for the team. But he scored fewer than 20 this season and Sir Alex Ferguson will be happy to take the €93 million for a great player who is no longer a great team player. United fans always had mixed feelings about the petulant  Portuguese star, but had become increasingly ambivalent about him of late.

Even though the Latin prefix "ambi-" means "both", the word "ambiguous" has come to mean "unclear", while "ambivalent" means "torn between two opposing feelings or views." If your attitude can be defined into two polarized alternatives, then you're ambivalent, not ambiguous. EXAMPLE: "The French are ambivalent about royalty: they got rid of their own monarchy but are fascinated by the British royal family." The expression "to have an ambivalent attitude" means to have mixed feelings towards someone or about something.

If something is ambiguous, it can be difficult to understand. EXAMPLE: "Timothy Garton Ash has defended Tariq Ramadan, while Ayaan Hirsi Ali  has accused the Muslim philosopher of being ambiguous about terror."