require "all_hashes.pl";       # read in all the hashes
our $item = "Perl";            # this $item must be global  :-(
require "template.pl";         # perl interpolates all the variable

print $out;                    # $out is defined in template.pl
#...

##</code><code>##

my $out = "-p $act1{$item} -p $act2{$item} ...";

##</code><code>##

my %act1 = (
           "food"  => "eat it",
           "drink" => "drink it",
           "Perl"  => "play it");
my %act2 = (
           "food"  => "prepare it",
           "drink" => "be drunk",
           "Perl"  => "write it");
#...