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Is there a difference between 'antenna gain' and an amplified antenna?
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As teleview has already said in their own way, yes, there is a significant difference. Antenna gain comes as the result of the an intentional effort to make the antenna sensitive in only one direction rather than many or all directions. The gain offered by an antenna provides a way to gather more desired signal power from the air while receiving less interfering signal from other directions.
An amplifier is not going to gather signal from the air or even 'pull' signal from the antenna. It is only going to 'push' signal through losses in cable and accessories such as splitters that are connected to the output of the amplifier. teleview already mentioned that the amplifier will amplify all of the signals fed to it from the antenna, including interfering and distorted signals. In addition, the amplifier will also add yet more distortion and noise of it's own... No amplifier is perfect.
Reliable reception starts (and can end) at the antenna. The location of, aim of and choice of antenna are the most important choices to be made in a successful and reliable reception system.
If you start with the right antenna, the right location and aim, almost any length or distance can be accommodated with the technology now available. But poor quality signal at the antenna terminals will not be corrected with amplification any more than an old scratched record would be made to sound new by amplifying the sound... you would simply get a loud scratchy version of the record output.