TIMTOWTDI, if order matters, as it tends to in a test (.t file), I frequently use something along the lines of ...

# Defaine default
my $change = "neutral";

my @lookup = (
  { test        => "blue"  },
  { dark        => "black" },
  { white       => "light" },
  { house       => "home"  },
  { all\ things => "multi" },
  { money       => "value" },
  { country     => "USA"   },
);

while (my ($i, $c) = each %lookup) {
  next unless $item eq $i;
  $change = $c;
  last;
}
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A purely untested suggestion ...