How to track down a ground failure
The taller blade is neutral.  

Ground should be bonded to neutral at the main panel so a measurement from hot to ground should be near 120V... and a measurement from neutral to ground should be near 0v. 

I agree a hot-ground reading of nil indicates no proper ground.  To find that, you have to go chase the wires.  Follow the wires back to the panel, find the last place ground is good,  and open up that box and each subsequent box and see what is amiss.   It super helps to know what normal looks like, so hit the books.  

As for detecting a ground fault in the tool, try plugging it into a properly grounded** GFCI receptacle, get an insulated wire with bared ends, attach one end to a solid ground, and  the other against metal parts of the saw. 

Sometimes you can clear a tool ground fault by cleaning it well, or by disassembling it and cleaning it.  

You really do want GFCI protection in garage and workshop space, though.  If you don't have a ground, you may be better off getting a GFCI than a ground.   GFCIs do not require ground.  Learn how to use the LOAD terminals on a GFCI and you will only need one per circuit.  



** GFCIs do not require ground, and grounding a GFCI is nice but it doesn't massively improve its safety.  In this case I want you to use a grounded GFCI as a diagnostic aid, because it will help detect ground faults in a grounded tool.