Assorted means mixed together in various types or kinds, like a collection where items are deliberately different from one another rather than all the same. When you buy a box of assorted chocolates, you get different flavors and fillings: some caramel, some nuts, some cream. An assorted pack of markers includes many colors rather than all blue or all red.

The word suggests variety chosen on purpose. A teacher might hand out assorted assignments, giving different students different tasks based on their abilities. A hardware store might sell assorted screws in a single package: various sizes and types mixed together for convenience.

You might see assorted vegetables on a menu (a mix of carrots, broccoli, and peppers) or assorted supplies in an art kit (pencils, erasers, rulers, and more). The variety is the point: assorted means you're getting a mixture rather than just one thing repeated again and again.