One Sentence = a few different meaning?

[Helloguy]

Hi,
I am trying to improve my english skills, but I really do have my problem with the participles.
For example this sentence:

"The man had been fascinating"

I have found 3 ways to interpret the meaning of this sentence:

1) had been = past perfect (be) + fascinating = adjective (The man himself is fascinating)
2) had been fascinating = past perfect continuos tense (fascinate + ing) (so the man fascinated others in the past)
3) had been = past pefect (be) + fascinating = present participle (the man is a man, who fascinates others - this time as adjective and in the present time)

I know that I'm overcomplicating things, but even simple sentences like "The car is interesting" could be translated with two different meanings...

I hope you could help me, I'm a very rational person feeling very helpless to understand the workings of a language without a complete knowledge of the grammar :/ (hope this sentence made sense)

Thank you in advance!

[Alan]

While it is true that, in isolation, the words 'fascinating' and 'interesting' can function as both adjective and participles (or even gerunds), the sentence in which they occur is likely to limit us to only one interpretation.

Thus, for example, 'fascinating' in

He had been fascinating.

can be interpreted only as an adjective, since the verb 'fascinate', being transitive, would require an object.

I hope that helps you a little!