Region: General | Usage example: He kept an iron in the fire while negotiating the contract.

Keep an iron in the fire

Meaning

Have multiple tasks or opportunities underway.

Warns against relying on a single plan.

Origin notes can vary by region and source; this page gives the commonly reported explanation and usage context.

Blacksmiths kept several irons glowing to work quickly.

Traders used the image in 18th-century England.