Structural ambiguity occurs when a sentence can be interpreted in multiple ways due to its structure. This often happens when phrases or clauses can be grouped differently, leading to different meanings. For example, the sentence "I saw the man with the telescope" can imply that either the speaker used a telescope to see the man or that the man had a telescope. This type of ambiguity is common in language and can create confusion in communication. Understanding structural ambiguity is important in fields like linguistics, law, and computer science, where precise interpretation of language is crucial for clarity and accuracy.