To shed light on the value of the area model as a tool to elicit pre-service teachers' (PSTs') understanding of fractions and area, we explored their understanding of the fractional knowledge and geometric measurement knowledge incorporated in the area model by providing PSTs area models in an "atypical" way. We administered a written questionnaire to 82 PSTs at a large Midwestern university in the USA. We used an inductive content analysis approach, including both qualitative and quantitative analyses, to analyze the data. Almost half of the PSTs provided incorrect answers and faulty reasoning. We identified two main strategies for correct reasoning and five sources of the misconceptions embedded in the PSTs' incorrect reasoning. Finally, we drew implications from our analysis for designing mathematics methods courses that support effective use of area models.