John Hancock High Yield Tax-Free Fund
John Hancock Tax-Free Bond Fund
(together, the "funds")
Supplement to Class A and B Prospectus
(to be distributed to investors in the State of Maryland)
The funds' goal, strategy and primary investment policies are described on page
6 and page 12 of the prospectus. The funds may also use additional investment
practices which have specific risks associated with them. Particularly, please
note that the funds may engage in transactions in some or all of the following
derivative instruments: financial futures and related options, securities and
index options, participation interests, swaps, caps, floors and collars. The
risks associated with their use include: interest rate risk, market risk, hedged
or speculative leverage risk, correlation risk, liquidity risk, credit risk,
information risk, valuation risk and opportunity risk. These instruments and
other "higher-risk securities and practices" (and their associated risks) are
described on pages 24 and 25 of the prospectus.
For John Hancock High Yield Tax-Free Fund, the description of the fund's goal,
strategy and primary investment policies on page 6 is supplemented as follows:
In seeking a high level of current income that is largely exempt from
federal income tax and is consistent with reasonable safety of capital, the
adviser will evaluate the level of risk inherent to particular securities
when considering the level of income offered by these securities. The risks
associated with these securities are defined under the heading "More About
Risk" on page 26 of the prospectus. There is no assurance that the fund will
achieve its goal.
