<PAGE>
MFS Government Limited Maturity Fund
Supplement to the Current Prospectus
MFS Fund Distributors, Inc. ("MFD") will waive any applicable contingent
deferred sales charges as described in the Fund's prospectus, upon redemption,
with respect to an investment of approximately $32 million, at net asset value,
into Class A shares of the Fund purchased on or about May 2, 1996 by a client of
Smith Barney Inc. ("Smith Barney"); provided, however, that (i) the commission
which otherwise would be payable by MFD to Smith Barney at the time of the sale
will instead be paid in four equal quarterly installments following the initial
investment date, and (ii) such commission payments will be subject to reduction
on the following basis:
(a) if such client redeems its entire initial investment at any time
within 12 months after the initial purchase date, a final commission installment
shall be payable to Smith Barney, representing commissions accumulated on a PRO
RATA basis since the last quarterly commission installment, with no further
commission installments payable; and
(b) if such client redeems a portion of its initial investment within
12 months after the initial purchase date, all subsequent commission
installments shall be reduced, on a PRO RATA basis, based upon the ratio of the
amount redeemed to the initial investment.
The date of this Supplement is May 2, 1996.