<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 03/31/99
000 C000000 0000830622
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 Y
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 PUTNAM MASTER INTERMEDIATE INCOME TRUST
001 B000000 811-5498
001 C000000 6172921562
002 A000000 ONE POST OFFICE SQUARE
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02109
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTMENT MANAGMENT INC.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-7974
008 D010001 BOSTON
008 D020001 MA
008 D030001 02109
011 A000001 PUTNAM MUTUAL FUNDS CORP.
011 B000001 8-5098
011 C010001 BOSTON
011 C020001 MA
011 C030001 02109
012 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTOR SERVICES
012 B000001 84-401299
012 C010001 BOSTON
012 C020001 MA
012 C030001 02109
013 A000001 PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP
013 B010001 BOSTON
013 B020001 MA
<PAGE> PAGE 2
013 B030001 02109
015 A000001 PUTNAM FIDUCIARY TRUST CO.
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 BOSTON
015 C020001 MA
015 C030001 02109
015 E010001 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 99
019 C000000 PUTNAMFUND
020 A000001 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
020 B000001 13-5674085
020 C000001 1
020 A000002 PAINEWEBBER INC.
020 B000002 13-2638166
020 C000002 1
020 A000003 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES INC.
020 B000003 13-3224016
020 C000003 1
020 C000004 0
020 C000005 0
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 5
022 A000001 WARBURG DILLON READ
022 C000001 1062807
022 D000001 14733
022 A000002 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000002 13-2518466
022 C000002 473686
022 D000002 108809
022 A000003 CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON
022 C000003 401750
022 D000003 74468
022 A000004 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
022 B000004 13-5674085
022 C000004 179085
022 D000004 88973
022 A000005 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
022 B000005 13-5108880
022 C000005 152393
022 D000005 35844
022 A000006 SALOMON SMITH BARNEY
022 C000006 129310
022 D000006 53819
022 A000007 MORGAN STANLEY DEAN WITTER
022 C000007 126575
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 D000007 8489
022 A000008 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000008 13-3224016
022 C000008 102688
022 D000008 9054
022 A000009 DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE SECURITIES CORP.
022 B000009 13-2741729
022 C000009 13256
022 D000009 12989
022 A000010 PARIBAS CORPORATION
022 C000010 6483
022 D000010 6830
023 C000000 2690453
023 D000000 441573
024 000000 N
025 D000001 0
025 D000002 0
025 D000003 0
025 D000004 0
025 D000005 0
025 D000006 0
025 D000007 0
025 D000008 0
026 A000000 Y
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 Y
026 G020000 Y
026 H000000 N
027 000000 N
028 A010000 0
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 0
028 B010000 0
028 B020000 0
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 0
028 C010000 0
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 0
028 D010000 0
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 0
028 E010000 0
028 E020000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 4
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 0
028 F010000 0
028 F020000 0
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 0
028 G010000 0
028 G020000 0
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 0
028 H000000 0
030 A000000 0
030 B000000 0.00
030 C000000 0.00
031 A000000 0
031 B000000 0
032 000000 0
033 000000 0
035 000000 0
036 B000000 0
038 000000 0
042 A000000 0
042 B000000 0
042 C000000 0
042 D000000 0
042 E000000 0
042 F000000 0
042 G000000 0
042 H000000 0
043 000000 0
044 000000 0
045 000000 Y
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
048 000000 0.000
048 A010000 500000
048 A020000 0.750
048 B010000 500000
048 B020000 0.650
048 C010000 500000
048 C020000 0.600
048 D010000 0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000 0
048 E020000 0.000
048 F010000 0
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000 0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
<PAGE> PAGE 5
048 I010000 0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 1500000
048 K020000 0.550
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
054 C000000 Y
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 N
054 H000000 N
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 Y
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 Y
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056 000000 N
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 Y
060 B000000 Y
061 000000 0
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 2.9
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 14.5
062 N000000 21.2
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 40.2
<PAGE> PAGE 6
062 Q000000 19.6
062 R000000 2.6
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 0.0
064 A000000 Y
064 B000000 Y
065 000000 Y
066 A000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 Y
070 B010000 N
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 Y
070 D010000 N
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 Y
070 F010000 N
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 Y
070 H010000 N
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 Y
070 K010000 N
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 Y
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 Y
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 Y
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 373845
071 B000000 378986
071 C000000 771279
<PAGE> PAGE 7
071 D000000 48
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 32266
072 C000000 725
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 2830
072 G000000 5
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 321
072 J000000 148
072 K000000 39
072 L000000 30
072 M000000 9
072 N000000 246
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 44
072 S000000 15
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 14
072 X000000 3701
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 29290
072AA000000 0
072BB000000 5511
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 7445
072DD010000 35006
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.3500
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 2278
074 B000000 23303
074 C000000 0
074 D000000 760717
074 E000000 16783
074 F000000 1724
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 2757
074 J000000 33362
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 18255
074 M000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 8
074 N000000 859179
074 O000000 36761
074 P000000 1499
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 24289
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 796630
074 U010000 100133
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 7.96
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 9818
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 801083
076 000000 7.31
077 A000000 N
078 000000 N
080 A000000 FEDERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
080 B000000 NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000 500000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 98
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
086 A010000 0
086 A020000 0
086 B010000 0
086 B020000 0
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
086 E010000 0
086 E020000 0
086 F010000 0
086 F020000 0
088 A000000 N
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 9
SIGNATURE PAUL BUCAVALAS
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
Putnam Master Intermediate Income Trust
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 1
<NAME> CLASS A
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> SEMI
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> SEP-30-1998
<PERIOD-END> MAR-31-1999
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 839,330,570
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 805,284,208
<RECEIVABLES> 51,616,997
<ASSETS-OTHER> 2,277,891
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 859,179,096
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 36,730,554
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 25,818,265
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 62,548,819
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 882,932,484
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 100,133,126
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 100,014,650
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> (19,277,368)
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> (33,465,923)
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> (33,558,916)
<NET-ASSETS> 796,630,277
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 725,596
<INTEREST-INCOME> 32,265,701
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 3,700,879
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 29,290,418
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (5,511,234)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (7,444,544)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 16,334,640
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (35,006,458)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 118,476
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (17,711,545)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> (13,561,328)
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> (27,954,689)
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 2,830,444
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 3,707,256
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 801,082,802
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 8.14
<PER-SHARE-NII> .29
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (.12)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.35)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 7.96
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .46
[AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING] 0
[AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE] 0
</TABLE>
