Query question, to prevent duplicate tables

[Jackson1942]

I have a table that has a list of categories (tblCategory) with a key of Cat01 through Cat21.
I have a second table (tblItems) for Items that can have up to 4 Categories each; Category1, 2, 3, and 4.

Each Item entry in the second table has one or more keys from the first table in the Category1, 2, 3 and 4 fields; i.e. Cat04, Cat09, Cat21.

I am working on a Query and want to pick up the Item and each Category description for Category1, 2, 3, and 4 from the first table.

My Query pulls Item from the second table and Category1 from the first table and works fine.

My problem is how do I pick up Category2, 3 and 4 without duplicating tblCategory?

 

[pbaldy]

It was a normalization mistake to have the 4 fields, so I'd change that. Your workaround would be to add the category table to the query 4 times. Access will alias the second through fourth instances of it. You'd join a different instance of the table to each of your 4 fields.