Almond meal is ground almonds, often with the skins included and often coarser than products sold as almond flour. Labels vary, so inspect the grind and ingredients rather than relying on the name alone. Blanched ground almonds have had their skins removed.
Almond meal adds nut flavor, fat and texture to cakes, cookies, coatings and fillings. It does not build a wheat-gluten network and is not a universal one-for-one substitute for wheat flour. A coarse or skin-on product can change the appearance and texture of delicate preparations.
Reference: Further reading.