A B737-200 ON CLB AT FL200 RETURNED TO THE FIELD DUE TO OUT OF LIMITS TRIM REQUIRED CAUSED BY THE ACFT IMPROPERLY FUELED.

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#1 MAIN FUEL TANK QUANTITY GAUGE WAS PLACARDED INOP. WE CALLED IN RANGE TO OUR STATION AND REMINDED THEM THAT THE TANK WOULD HAVE TO BE DRIP-STICKED. THE FUELER WAS AT THE ACFT SHORTLY AFTER BLOCK IN BUT IT WAS SOME TIME BEFORE HIS SUPVR ARRIVED. THE SUPVR WAS THE ONE WHO WOULD STICK THE TANK. WE WERE SCHEDULED FOR ABOUT 30 MINS ON GND AND DEP TIME WAS APCHING. APPARENTLY THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN #2 FUEL TANK QUANTITY GAUGE AT FUELING (OPERABLE GAUGE) AND THE FLOW TO THAT TANK SHUT OFF WHEN GAUGE INDICATED FULL. I WAS DOING OTHER PREDEP DUTIES AND DID NOT SUPERVISE THE STICKING OF #2 TANK. I DID VERIFY THAT THE PLACARDED #1 TANK WAS FULL. OUR FUEL LOAD WAS PLANNED FOR 20000 LBS SO BOTH MAINS SHOULD HAVE BEEN FULL PLUS 1000 LBS IN CTR TANK. WHEN I GOT THE FUEL SLIP INDICATING GALLONS ADDED; I DID NOT PROPERLY VERIFY THAT THE AMOUNT AGREED WITH THE REQUIRED FUEL. ALL COCKPIT GAUGES AT DEP INDICATED THE PROPER FUEL LOAD. I ASKED FUELER AND SUPVR IF THEY HAD STUCK #2 TANK. THEY SAID YES; THE TANK WAS FULL. AFTER TKOF THE #2 MAIN GAUGE WENT TO 4000 LBS FROM APPROX 9300 LBS. THE ACFT REQUIRED APPROX 4 UNITS OF R TRIM; INDICATING THAT THE L TANK HAD CONSIDERABLY MORE FUEL THAN THE R. I DETERMINED THAT THE R TANK (#2) WAS NOW INDICATING CORRECTLY AND WE HAD INSUFFICIENT FUEL TO MAKE IT TO DENVER; SO I RETURNED TO ZZZ. AFTER LNDG THE #2 TANK INDICATED APPROX 2500 LBS ON GAUGE AND THE SAME WHEN MAINT CHKED IT VIA DRIPSTICK. MAINT AND I SUPERVISED THE FUELING. THE GAUGES; DRIPSTICKS AND GALLONS ADDED ALL AGREED WITH THE NEW FUEL LOAD. MAINT SIGNED OFF THE WRITE-UP INDICATING TO ME THAT THE GAUGE PROB WAS A ONE TIME SPIKE OR ERROR. I FLEW THE ACFT TO DEN AND ALL #2 TANK READINGS WERE NORMAL AND WERE VERIFIED AGAINST FUEL FLOWS. MAINT AT DEN STUCK TANK #2 AND THE GAUGE READINGS AND DRIPSTICK READINGS (BEFORE FUELING) INDICATED EXACTLY THE SAME.