(Sektion 40: Philosophische Untersuchungen von Ludwig Wittgenstein).
40. Let us first dicuss the point of this train of thought: that the word has no reference* when nothing corresponds to it.--It is important to establish that the word "reference" is used illicitly when one uses it to signify the thing that 'corresponds' to the word. That is called mistaking the reference of a name with the bearer of the name. If Mr. N.N. dies one says that the bearer of the name dies, not that the meaning of the name dies. And it would be nonsensical to say that, for if the name ceased to have reference then it would make no sense to say "Mr. N.N is dead."
* - the German term here is Bedeutung, which in its technical usage (by Frege etc.) usually meant reference, but in everyday use probably translates better as the English meaning, which is also a concept riddled with philosophical speculation. The entire phrase in the original German is -- "daß das Wort keine Bedeutung hat, wenn ihm nichts entspricht". I have translated entspricht as corresponds.