<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 10/31/1999
000 C000000 0000932101
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 6.1
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 PUTNAM INVESTMENT FUNDS
001 B000000 811-7237
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
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007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
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007 C011000 10
007 C011100 11
007 C021100 PUTNAM WORLDWIDE EQUITY FUND
007 C031100 N
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007 C011300 13
007 C011400 14
007 C011500 15
007 C011600 16
007 C011700 17
007 C011800 18
007 C011900 19
007 C012000 20
007 C012100 21
007 C012200 22
007 C012300 23
007 C012400 24
007 C012500 25
007 C012600 26
007 C012700 27
<PAGE> PAGE 2
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008 A00AA01 PUTNAM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
008 B00AA01 A
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008 D01AA01 BOSTON
008 D02AA01 MA
008 D03AA01 02109
011 A00AA01 PUTNAM MUTUAL FUNDS CORP
011 B00AA01 8-5088
011 C01AA01 BOSTON
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011 C03AA01 02109
012 A00AA01 PUTNAM INVESTOR SERVICES
012 B00AA01 84-401299
012 C01AA01 BOSTON
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013 A00AA01 PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP
013 B01AA01 BOSTON
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013 B03AA01 02110
015 A00AA01 PUTNAM FIDUCIARY TRUST CO.
015 B00AA01 C
015 C01AA01 BOSTON
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015 E01AA01 X
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<PAGE> PAGE 3
019 B00AA00 97
019 C00AA00 PUTNAMFUND
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<PAGE> PAGE 4
022 C000007 293
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022 A000009 MORGAN STANLEY DEAN WITTER
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<PAGE> PAGE 5
028 B011100 96
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039 001100 N
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042 E001100 0
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<PAGE> PAGE 6
045 001100 Y
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054 E001100 N
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054 G001100 N
054 H001100 N
054 I001100 N
054 J001100 Y
054 K001100 N
054 L001100 Y
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<PAGE> PAGE 7
058 A001100 N
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070 D011100 Y
070 D021100 N
070 E011100 Y
070 E021100 N
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<PAGE> PAGE 8
070 K011100 Y
070 K021100 N
070 L011100 Y
070 L021100 Y
070 M011100 Y
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<PAGE> PAGE 9
072DD021100 0
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080 A001100 FEDERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
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<PAGE> PAGE 10
085 B001100 N
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<PAGE> PAGE 11
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<PAGE> PAGE 12
054 F001200 N
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057 001200 N
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<PAGE> PAGE 13
070 D011200 Y
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070 E021200 N
070 F011200 Y
070 F021200 Y
070 G011200 Y
070 G021200 N
070 H011200 Y
070 H021200 N
070 I011200 N
070 I021200 N
070 J011200 N
070 J021200 N
070 K011200 Y
070 K021200 N
070 L011200 Y
070 L021200 Y
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070 P021200 N
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070 Q021200 N
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<PAGE> PAGE 14
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<PAGE> PAGE 15
075 B001200 153800
076 001200 0.00
080 A001200 FEDERAL INSURANCE CO
080 B001200 NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE CO
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SIGNATURE PAUL BUCUVALAS
TITLE MANAGING DIRECTOR
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
Putnam Worldwide Equity Fund
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 1
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> ANNUAL
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> OCT-31-1999
<PERIOD-END> OCT-31-1999
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 5,349,702
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 7,774,888
<RECEIVABLES> 277,207
<ASSETS-OTHER> 85,774
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 8,137,869
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 298,866
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 64,989
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 363,855
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 3,586,796
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 342,201
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 249,217
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 16,177
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 1,760,762
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 2,410,279
<NET-ASSETS> 7,774,014
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 15,951
<INTEREST-INCOME> 4,829
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 54,096
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> (33,316)
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 2,068,146
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 2,306,429
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 4,341,259
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 121,826
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (28,842)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 5,812,308
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> (257,891)
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> (3,341)
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 60,047
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 4,141,130
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 7.87
<PER-SHARE-NII> (.12)
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 14.97
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> 0
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 22.72
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 1.45
[AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING] 0
[AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE] 0
</TABLE>
December 9, 1999
To the Board of Trustees of Putnam Worldwide Equity Fund:
In planning and performing our audit of the financial
statements of Putnam Worldwide Equity Fund for the year
ended October 31, 1999, we considered its internal control,
including control activities for safeguarding securities, in
order to determine our auditing procedures for the purpose
of expressing our opinion on the financial statements and to
comply with the requirements of Form N-SAR, not to provide
assurance on internal control.
The management of Putnam Worldwide Equity Fund is
responsible for establishing and maintaining internal
control. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and
judgments by management are required to assess the expected
benefits and related costs of controls. Generally, controls
that are relevant to an audit pertain to the entity's
objective of preparing financial statements for external
purposes that are fairly presented in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles. Those controls
include the safeguarding of assets against unauthorized
acquisition, use or disposition.
Because of inherent limitations in internal controls, errors
or fraud may occur and may not be detected. Also,
projection of any evaluation of internal control to future
periods is subject to the risk that it may become inadequate
because of changes in conditions or that the effectiveness
of the design and operation may deteriorate.
Our consideration of internal control would not necessarily
disclose all matters in internal control that might be
material weaknesses under standards established by the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. A
material weakness is a condition in which the design or
operation of one or more of the internal control components
does not reduce to a relatively low level the risk that
misstatements caused by errors or fraud in amounts that
would be material in relation to the financial statements
being audited may occur and not be detected within a timely
period by employees in the normal course of performing their
assigned functions. However, we noted no matters involving
internal control and its operation, including controls for
safeguarding securities, that we consider to be material
weaknesses as defined above as of October 31, 1999.
This report is intended solely for the information and use
of management and the Board of Trustees and the Securities
and Exchange Commission and is not intended to be and should
not be used by anyone other than these specified parties.
