GetWordsFromExcelAndHighlight

Option Explicit
'References:
'http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19071173/ms-word-macro-how-to-adapt-so-it-get-data-from-my-excel-file
'http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/excel-questions/32187-convert-variant-array-string-array.html

Dim TargetList() As String


Public Sub GetWordsFromExcelAndHighlight()
Dim lngIndex As Long
Dim arrWords As Variant

arrWords = GetListArray("C:\wordlist.xlsx")

ReDim TargetList(UBound(arrWords, 1)) As String
For lngIndex = 2 To UBound(arrWords, 1)
  TargetList(lngIndex) = arrWords(lngIndex, 1)
Next

Call Highlight

End Sub

Function GetListArray(ByRef strFileName As String) As Variant
Dim xlapp As Object
Dim xlbook As Object
Dim xlsheet As Object
Dim bAppStart As Boolean
  On Error Resume Next
  Set xlapp = GetObject(, "Excel.Application")
  If Err Then
    bAppStart = True
    Set xlapp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
  End If
  On Error GoTo 0
  Set xlbook = xlapp.Workbooks.Open(FileName:=strFileName)
  Set xlsheet = xlbook.Worksheets(1)
  GetListArray = xlsheet.range("A1").CurrentRegion.Value
  xlbook.Close
  If bAppStart = True Then xlapp.Quit
  Set xlapp = Nothing
  Set xlbook = Nothing
  Set xlsheet = Nothing

End Function


Sub Highlight()

Dim range As range
Dim i As Long

For i = 1 To UBound(TargetList)

Set range = ActiveDocument.range

With range.Find
.Text = TargetList(i)
.Format = True
.MatchCase = True
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False

Do While .Execute(Forward:=True) = True
range.HighlightColorIndex = wdYellow

Loop

End With
Next
End Sub