The invention provides a novel class of scaffold-based labeled polymerase enzyme substrates. The polymerase enzyme substrates have a multivalent core or scaffold to which is attached fluorescent dye moieties and nucleoside phosphate moities. The polymerase enzyme substrates have multiple fluorescent dye moities and/or multiple nucleoside phosphate moieties. Preferred multivalent cores comprise trifunctional six membered aromatic moities. The invention also provides for sequencing methods and kits with scaffold-based labeled polymerase enzyme substrates.